Ginsters Original Cornish pasties are the original grab-and-go handy snack, easily enjoyable and made with pride in Cornwall by Ginsters from quality British ingredients.
It’s Cornish Pasty week from the 25th of February until the 3rd of March 2018, which culminates with the World Pasty Championship that takes place at The Eden Project on the 3rd.
It is the perfect reminder to grab one of these original handy snacks. A proper Cornish pasty has to be made in Cornwall, but you don’t have to travel West to get hold of one – Ginsters Original Cornish pasties which have a PGI – Protected Geographical Indication are made in Cornwall and are easy to find in the chiller cabinet of your local supermarket.
A proper pasty should contain beef, potato, onion, and swede (but definitely no carrots!) all wrapped in flaky layers of puff pastry crust (a Ginsters pasty has 80 layers), and Ginsters pasties are really rather good. What makes a Cornish pasty so special is the peppery hit from a generous seasoning of black pepper.
Ginsters have been making pasties in Callington, Cornwall from quality British ingredients since 1969 . Their pasties really hit the spot, and are made with 100% British beef and vegetables grown just 15 miles from the factory. They are certainly doing something right and now sell a massive 800,000 pasties a week.
One of the stories about pasties is that the crimp was developed for Cornish tin miners to use as a handle when underground and unable to wash their hands. Likewise, there are tales about pasties with one end being savoury, and the other sweet to give an entire meal in one package.
They do need to be heated up to be best enjoyed, and again, there are stories about that: apparently, the well-known rugby chant of “oggy, oggy, oggy” (replied with “oi, oi, oi) has it’s origins in Cornish tin mines, derived from the Cornish word for pasty, the hoggan.
Apparently, the cry of “hoggan/oggy” went up when the pasties were hot and ready to eat, and the “oi” reply was the acknowledgement.
While I’m not sure how much I believe these stories, I do believe that a good Cornish pasty is much tastier than you might remember, especially if you’ve only experienced poorer quality offerings eaten too cold.
Whether you worry about the stories or not, there’s no denying that a proper Cornish pasty, expertly made by Ginsters, makes a great lunch that makes me want to grab my wetsuit and body board and head for the West again.
We love our annual trips to Cornwall, and a Ginsters original Cornish pasty eaten in the depths of winter here in London instantly transports us back to those golden beaches, rugged headlands, blue skies, lighthouses and secluded coves.
When we have a Cornish holiday a pasty is very much on the menu for at least two lunches, best enjoyed on the beach after a spell in the sea body boarding, or to set you up before or after a cliff top walk. All these photos of Cornwall were taken on a 6 mile walk around Trevose Head. Because of the winding coastal path the scenery changes dramatically with each twist and turn.
The perfect day in Cornwall
Ingredients
- 1 sunny day
- 1 beautiful Cornish beach
- Good tides, wind and surf
- 4 wetsuits ((you are not going in without))
- 4 body boards
- 4 traditional Cornish pasties ((served piping hot))
- 4 ice creams ((served iced cold))
- 1 beautiful cliff top walk
- 4 cream teas
Instructions
- One a beautiful sunny day, pack up your gear and head for the beach.
- Wriggle into your wetsuit, grab your body board and head for the sea.
- After a couple of hours in the water, collapse on the beach and warm up and refuel with a Ginsters Pasty.
- Take in the views in the afternoon with a clifftop walk.
- Finish off the day with a cream tea.
Notes
Ginsters Original Cornish Pasties, which have a PGI, are sold chilled in the supermarkets across the whole of the UK for all to enjoy – RRP £1.70
Post sponsored by Ginsters, all opinions our own.
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen
I am partial to a proper Cornish pasty! I’ve never been to Cornwall, it looks so beautiful, and I love your recipe at the end!!
Helen
I love my trips West each year – Cornwall is such a pretty part of the UK.
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
I’ve never had a pasty before — but what’s not to like — beef, potatoes and puff pastry — it’s like this was made for me! Lovely photos of your day at the beach too! Such a pretty area.
Helen
They are SO good. The secret is all that delicious pastry and the generous pinch of pepper.
Lauren
Your photos are amazing. Cornwall looks beautiful. That definitely seems like the perfect day :)
Helen
Thank you Lauren, it was a stunning day, and they are only iPhone photos.
Jessica Fasano Formicola
These look very satisfying and comforting! Cheers to delicious foods to try! Making me hungry!
Helen
There is nothing like a proper Cornish pasty. So many memories associated with it.
Traci
Wow 800K pastries a week? That’s a lot of beef and dough! These look so filling…and your vacation recipe sounds delicious…now I want one :)
Helen
800K is a lot of pasties! but they really are so good!
Elaine @ Dishes Delish
I’ve never had pasty before, but I want to try them asap! I loved reading about the background of this delicious snack! I also enjoyed seeing the photos of Cornwall! I know that I would love pasties and can’t wait to try them.
Helen
I am dreaming of a proper Cornish pasty right now. I love my cliff top walks in Cornwall.
Sarah Bailey
I have to admit I do like a good old pastie and if you aren’t in Cornwall to buy a real one, Ginsters really offer a delicious buy anywhere snack to have at anytime!
Helen
I love a pasty. making sure we have one this week for Cornish pasty week!
Ana
I knew that Cornwall was beautiful but I had no idea how breathtaking it would be. And the pasties sound delicious, they have cheese and onion ones too right?
Helen
I’m sure they have a veggie on too. I adore Cornwall. So beautiful.
Patrick
Those pasties look great but I don’t think they sell them here in the United States otherwise I would try them for sure.
Helen
that are so good. I don’t think they export as the need to be fresh, but you must have one when you come to the uk.
Harriet from Toby & Roo
I love Ginsters! We will frequently get them for a picnic for the grownups whilst the kids enjoy their sandwiches! YUM! H :)
Helen
They are SO good, but a bit big for children.
lisa prince
Oh I do have to agree these are amazing! I don’t even like Cornish pasties unless I have these. I can’t deal with other brands, they’re just mush and these are so full of flavour with a chunky filling.
Helen
They are so good, and I agree other brands don’t compare
Danielle
Can you believe I have never had a Cornish Pasty. Maybe a trip to Cornwall to try one is in order.
Helen
They are so very tasty, and I recommend trying one soon.
Rhian Westbury
I absolutely love a gingsters cornish pasty so I might need to have one this week as homage to pasty week x
Helen
What better way to celebrate pasty week than enjoying a lovely warm Cornish pasty.
Lynne Harper
I love a good olde cornish pasty. We have always had them at home for as long as I can remember, with a dollop of brown sauce :) such a quick meal/snack but packed full of flavour
Helen
Brown sauce is a great accompliment to a tasty Cornish pasty.
Kara
I do love a Cornish pasty and I think they taste even better on a warm and sunny day playing on the beach
Helen
A perfect beach snack, and one of the times they are sill enjoyable even when cold.
Mayah Camara
I’ve never had this pasty before as i’m a vegetarian but many friends of mine are seen this eating this one on a regular basis. From what I hear it’s amazing!
Helen
Very tasty, Mayah. You will have to see if they do a vegetarian one.
Mellissa Williams
I didn’t realise it was Cornish Pasty Week this week! I love a good Cornish pasty and made sure to have some when I was recently in Cornwall. I do love Ginsters too, so handy to have at home and on the go.
Helen
It is a good reason to enjoy a good Cornish Pasty.
Yeah Lifestyle
Love love Cornish pasty and the best one we ever ate was in Cornwall! Love your recipe on how to spend a perfect day in Cornwall.
Helen
Cornwall is so beautiful, and the perfect place to enjoy a pasty.
Bella at Dear Mummy Blog
Minsters Original Cornish pasties are the ones my Daddy eats We love Cornwall and even though we visited over Christmas, we didn’t heat ourselves up with a local one! Such a shame as I bet they taste really good there.
Helen
I think when in Cornwall, one should always grab a pasty.
Sarah
I’ve never been to Cornwall, but this makes me want to visit!! It looks so beautiful! I’m glad you can find your pasties closer to home though :D
Helen
It is a long way to go for a pasty, so ideal that I can buy from any supermarket.
kirsty
My husband loves these pasties and has them for snacks during the day. I’ve never been a fan myself as I don’t like veggies (terrible I know)I know you can’t call them a Cornish pasties unless it’s made in Cornwall. I do love your recipe for a perfect day in Cornwall! You cannot beat a bit of surfing and chilling on the beach.
Helen
Such a great place to enjoy the beaches.
Patty
These Ginster pasties do look so good and a great option to turn to for when you don’t have time to make them from scratch. Loved the story about these pasties and thanks for the beautiful pictures of Cornwall!
Helen
So very tasty and great for a quick meal.
Lilinha
Yummy, these Cornish pasties look absolutely delicious and they are making me hungry. Now I fancy some!
Helen
So very tasty, and perfect when warmed through.
Joanna
I have actually had Ginsters Cornish pasties and they do taste like the ones I used to buy during my trip to Cornwall, a few years ago. You can never go wrong with an authentic pastie!
Helen
Ginsters really do get it right, made to perfection.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
Well….I know hubby would love these. His grandparents were from England. We have several British stores in the area. I will have to pay them a visit. They just might have these. As for the beautiful day in the recipe card….that will require a plane ride.
Helen
You will have to source a good recipe if you cannot find them in a store, Gloria. Must be tried.
Nichola - Globalmouse
Ha I love your recipe and I love our trips to Cornwall, we try to go in every season if we can. I also LOVE Cornish pasties…yum!!
Helen
Cornwall is such a wonderful place.
Melanie williams
Ooo this reminds me of my mother she spends so much time down Cornwall and she loves a good pastie too x
Helen
Such a beautiful place to visit.
Tanya
God I haven’t had a pasty in years, and yet I’m always lusting over the smell whenever someone has one
Helen
They do smell wonderful when warmed through, and so tasty.
Super Busy Mum
These look and sound AMAZING!!
Helen
SO good!
Jennifer
I have never had a Cornish pastry, nor been to Cornwall. After reading about them and seeing the breathtaking photos I feel like I need to do both at the same time per the ingredient instructions! Enjoying a proper Cornish pastry while taking a hike like that sounds like the perfect day!
Helen
Come to Cornwall – the south West coastal path is magnificent.
Amy Nash
Ha! This is my kind of recipe for a good time! I didn’t know that a proper pasty didn’t have any carrots in it! That’s my kind of food since carrots are the one thing I cannot stand, lol! This is such an interesting, fun post!
Helen
Absolutely no to carrots in a pasty!
Megan Marlowe
A sunny beach, some breeze, sand and some of these pasties in each hand sounds like my kind of perfect day! Thanks for taking me on a journey without having to leave my couch!
Helen
It is a wonderful way to spend a day.
Sean@Diversivore
As a Canadian I feel a) rather fond of meat-filled pastry in any form, and b) like I clearly don’t know enough about Cornwall. Gotta say, it looks like a pretty solid vacation plan to me, from the beach, to the scenery, to the food.
Helen
Always to the food on vacation!
Dana
That puff pastry looks oh-so-flaky. It’s the perfect golden shade! I’ve never had a pasty, but it almost reminds me of a hand-held tourtiere, which is a French meat pie. The French Canadian in me wants to dip this in ketchup ;)
Helen
it is excellent with ketchup!
Anna
These pasties look incredible! I’ve never tried one so I am super excited to make your recipe and make a batch for my family.
Helen
They are SO good!
Brandy
The bits of stories are so interesting! I really like that the idea of an all in one pastry but I’m sure I would always eat the dessert side first. Haha!
What’s not to love really with flaky pastry layers, beef and potatoes with a peppery finish?! My family would devour something like this.
Helen
I really must make one of the pasties with two fillings. And maybe not mark it to make it more fun!
Jago
I was born just diown the road from you guys and I LOVE your Cornish pasties. nearly as good as my mother’s homemade ones! They are really tasy and filling. Proper pasties!