Pasty contest launched with 250-year-old recipe

Mr and Mrs Pasty are the mascots for the Cornish Pasty Association

An international pasty competition has been launched with the help of a 250-year-old recipe.

The Global Pasty Championships, which is due to take place in February next year, was announced at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall.

Chief executive David Harland said the first recorded written recipe of a pasty was by John Tremayne, from the Heligan estate, in 1746.

The recipe, which has ingredients including mutton, lard and port, was sampled by people at the launch.

Mr Harland, one of those who sampled the recipe, said: "The mutton actually is nice - it's good, it's tender... but I think grandma's recipe might be better."

Jason Jobling, chairman of the Cornish Pasty Association, said: "It's quite edible actually, I enjoyed it.

"I think the pasty is just a such a wholesome ingredient you know we're really honoured to have that in Cornwall."

Organisers said the competition was set to take place on 28 February 2026, the Saturday before St Piran's Day, and would look to celebrate the county.

They said it would be held in partnership with the Cornish Pasty Association and would feature categories for both traditional and non-traditional recipes with each open to companies and individuals.

Younger bakers would also be able to enter in junior categories or they could enter alongside an adult if they wanted to use a family recipe.

Mr Jobling said: "It's really important we get lots of juniors lots of children involved because this is our next generation of our pasty crimpers."