How Cornish is a pasty?

One of the MEPs for the South-West has been cooking up a fuss in Strasbourg fighting for the legal status of the traditional pasty.

Graham Watson is pushing for Cornwalls "national" dish to have PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status.

This means Cornish pasties could only be made in Cornwall in the future.

Mr Watson handed out authentic pasties to his European colleagues at the European Parliament this week. 

He said: "Cornish pasties make a valuable contribution to the Cornish economy. It's a great product that supports thousands of jobs.

"Tragically some producers are trading on Cornwall's heritage without their pasties ever being near the Duchy," he said.

Indifferent

But some bakers and butchers across the UK remain indifferent. Wilsons Butchers in Leeds make pasties and brand them as Cornish. 

A spokesman said: "It doesn't matter where they're made - people will always refer to them as Cornish pasties. It's the same as Yorkshire puddings - they originate from its namesake but could be made in Wales." 

The West Cornwall Pasty Company, known for supplying commuters and tourists in London's mainline stations, confirmed that their pasties are freshly made  in Cornwall.

"They are kept in cold storage in Cornwall and transported to outlets across the country to be cooked," said spokeswoman Laura Medal.

So why is it that the origin of pasties is such an issue for a number of Cornwall's bakers and butchers?

Sarah Chapman, Falmouth shop manager of the Oggy Oggy Pasty Company, based in Falmouth, said: "It's not a Cornish pasty unless it's from Cornwall."

Carrots

She added: "I don't mind pasties being made outside Cornwall, as long as they're honest and say that they're not made in Cornwall but follow the recipe.

"When they start adding other things like carrots and puff pastry and goodness knows what else, that's wrong and that's why it needs to be protected."

Thirty-nine UK food products have been recognised under the EU Regionally Protected Food Names scheme for their quality and regional identity.

They include Cornish clotted cream, Cornish pilchards, Grimsby smoked fish, the Melton Mowbray pork pie and Jersey black butter.