Authentic Cornish Pasties…Fact!

Finally, after what appears to have been decades of border fighting in the South West, the Cornish Pasty receives the PGI approval to protect it’s origin, authenticity and quality.

The term “Cornish Pasty” has now been awarded the “protected status” by the European Commission.  This now means that only pasty products made in Cornwall to a long established recipe can actually be called “Cornish Pasties”.  This doesn’t mean that Cornish Pasties have to be baked in Cornwall, they have to be manufactured in the County.

The authenticity of the Cornish Pasty affects many producers in the UK, and this move by the European Commission has provided protection for those who have invested heavily into farming and manufacturing of the Cornish Pasty, providing a real boost to Cornwall and cementing its place in food manufacturing and farming history.  The local manufacturers strive to produce the very best product, they are proud of their provenance and wherever possible the ingredients of the Cornish Pasty are farmed locally.

Many other European Countries are passionate about protecting the authenticity and provenance of their produce, with products like French Champagne , Roquefort Cheese and Jersey Potatoes, now Cornish Pasties can be added to the “Protected” portfolio.

We previously posted about the Cornish Pasty Associations efforts to protect the origin and authenticity of the Cornish Pasty back in February 2009, this has been a lengthy but worthwhile process for the region and it’s related industries.

From time to time we are asked “Are Your Cornish Pasties Genuine?” due to the fact that we are based in South Yorkshire, a reasonable question.  We are delighted to inform everyone who asks “Officially…Yes!“.  Even though we are based in Sheffield, all of our Cornish Pasties ARE manufactured in Cornwall, each week we ship frozen containers to our distribution hub to take this great piece of Cornwall further afield than the M4 Corridor, we believe that the rest of the UK also has a right to taste the Genuine Cornish Pasty too!

Read more about this Landmark Approval below:-

The Cornish Pasty Trademark
The Genuine Cornish Pasty
Protecting the Cornish Pasty
BBC News Article

The “Proper” Cornish Pasty Franchise Has Arrived!

Over recent months we have been developing a cornish pasty franchise package to beat all franchise packages!  We are often asked why we haven’t previously operated a franchise package…well we have, we just haven’t really ever shouted about it.  Our most recent franchise operator opened in Belfast in May 2010 and the shop has taken the city by storm, delivering results beyond our expectation in a very short space of time and we haven’t really hit pasty season yet!

Our new franchise package for 2010 offers a wide range of features and enhancements that we have never extended to operators before, providing the franchisee with a retailing “system” that enables them to reach further into the marketplace.  We have developed a Proper support package that allows investors in the Proper Pasty Company Franchise to feel at ease with their investment, offering the efficiencies of a complete turnkey franchising scheme which includes:-

• Location Viability Audit
• Full Bake Off Design for the Retail Unit
• Retail Bake Off Training Programme
• Mobile Food and Catering Van Operator Training Programme
• Proper Catering Academy Membership – Cornish Pasty Retailing Excellence!
• Access To Proper Pasty Shop Fitters
• Contract Purchasing from our Approved Wholesalers
• License to Operate Under The “Proper” Brand
• Full Marketing Support for Point of Sale
• A Professional 4 Page Website which will be fully Optimised for the Operators Locality
• Training System for Website Maintenance
• An Online Press Release Campaign to help Spread the Word

As an introduction, and for the remainder of 2010, we are offering a reduction in the Cornish Pasty Franchise Fee from the initially stated price of £9,995.00 to a ‘recession sensitive’ £7,550.00.  This fee will not cover items such as standard operating and set up fees but purely represents the “License” to operate under the Proper Pasty Company brand.

The benefits of this turnkey package offer any prospective Franchisee with a full Franchise support package further enhanced by professional training, marketing and ongoing mentoring in food retailing via the Proper Catering Academy which extends our standard Bake Off training through to Sandwich Shop Retailing and Coffee Shop Retailing.

The “Proper Pasty Company” Cornish Pasty Franchise package is currently at an unbeatably low price and offers anyone who is considering starting their own Bake Off retailing business with great value for money.

If you are interested in learning more about our Cornish Pasty Franchise package then please click here >>Cornish Pasty Franchise Info<< and submit your details.

For more information about franchises in general please check out the following references:-

• The History of Franchising
• How to Identify A True Business Format Franchise
• Franchising FAQ’s
• Questions to ask the Franchisor
• Guide To Buying A Franchise
• Franchise Safely in A Recession

The above references are intended to assit and guide you through the decisions and questions that you may have when purchasing your food / cornish pasty franchise.

Proper Pasty Company 10th Birthday!

2009 has been a huge year for us, not only have we relocated to brand new premises, opened 3 new outlets and started an Academy for Retailing excellence… it’s also our 10th Birthday!

Life began 10 years ago in August 1999, when our founder John Worrall took the plunge to leave corporate life and bring a piece of Cornwall to Sheffield…Pinstone Street to be precise and since then the Proper Pasty Empire has thrived and expanded across the UK, with our most remote locations established in Bath and Newcastle it is our aim to fill in the gap between.  Life has changed since those unchartered days in the 1990′s, since opening what is now our flagship shop in the heart of Sheffield.

Over the years we have developed many new Cornish Pasty retailing concepts along the way serving the very best Cornish wares to the general public, workers in the workplace and students in Universities.  Our mission is to take the Cornish Pasty to every corner of the UK over the next 10 years…just watch us!

Our fleet of Catering Vans has now grown to 6 vehicles, the very best in mobile catering technology delivering Cornish Pasties and a whole variety of hot & cold snacks to the remote workplace in and around South Yorkshire.  By delivering consistent quality in food and a reliable daily service which serves customers at the same time each day, we have been able to grow the Proper brand beyond the High Street.

A great product range, customer focused growth and friendly staff have been the basis to our ten year growth so far, our plans for 2010 through to 2020 are much the same, we will continue to speculate, innovate and titivate to establish the Proper Pasty brand as the leading Cornish Pasty retailer in the UK!

Pasty Recipe – Proper Pasty Ingredients

Putting aside the geographical debate of the Cornish Pasty and the efforts of the Cornish Pasty Association for a moment, we thought we’d focus about more important things, like the great pasty recipe debate that meets similar challenge and change around the World.  CPA deem that there are minimum characteristics that a pasty should meet if it is to be called a Cornish Pasty, refer to the Cornish Pasty Association definition here…

When we consider a proper Pasty Recipe we consider a recipe that has survived the test of time in it’s home land, a true Cornish Pasty through and through, whos recipe has been passed down through generations and still manages to draw a craving time and time again.  The very best pasties evoke memories of Cornish holidays, palm trees, surfing and Cornish Ale!  What memories do pasties muster up for you when you catch that unmistakeable aroma?  With over 25 flavours of Proper Cornish Pasties on offer where do you start? Well, the traditional Cornish Steak Pasty is perhaps the Worlds best known variety which is associated with everything Cornish so here’s our very own version of the famous recipe, which is our best seller bar none:-

Steak Pasty Recipe (Authentic Cornish)

Ingredients

1. The very best Chuck Steak (trimmed lean)
2. Cornish Farmed Potates
3. Cornish Farmed Swede
4. Cornish Farmed Onion
5. Pastry (either short crust or flaky to suit taste)
6. Salt
7. Pepper  (for seasoning)
8. Egg Yolk (for basting, from Cornish Reared Hens!)
9. Our additional secret seasoning!

The Cornish Recipe

Cut the chuck steak into small cubes and during the process trim any fat that may be apparent. Traditional Cornish Pasties contain steak chunks and not minced steak. Dice the potato and swede into 1/4 inch squares or slightly smaller, some recipes suggest that the potatoes and swede are sliced, in our opinion diced is the best and adds to the appetising experience.

Roll out the pastry to a thickness that suits your palete, normally we aim to achieve a pastry thickness in the region of 1/4 inch, this should be rolled over a marble or wooden baking board which is lightly dusted with flour. Once the desired pastry thickness is achieved then take a small round saucer (from a tradional English Tea service) and cut out a suitable amount of circles.

Again, to suit your taste, take a handful of mixed diced vegetables and layer into the centre of the pastry circle (remembering to allow enough grab to fold over the pastry and crimp, usually supporting the edge of the pastry with a rolling pin is a great guide) then take a similar measure of the diced steak and layer on top of the vegetables.

This hand layering is a traditional method of pasty creation, some cooks insist on mixing the ingredients together resulting in a mush of vegetables and steak…not to the original recipe! Part of the hand layering process is combined with seasoning and a pinch of salt mixed with a comfortable sprinkle of finely crushed pepper offers that unmistakeable Cornish Pasty flavouring that we all love and know!

Next the Crimping of the Pasty! There is an art to crimping a Cornish Pasty, some crimp on top like a stegasaurus dinosaur, whilst others crimp to the side. In true Cornish style and as seen in photograph accompanying this post the side crimp is preferred.

Then in keeping with Cornish tradition the crimping is finished off with a characteristic knot…this is rumoured to keep the devil away and is a part of the Cornish Pasty that is rarely consumed. The knot was created by the wives of the tin miners as a point to grip the pasty, in order to remove the risk of arsenic from the tin transferring to the pastry and thereafter to the poor miner.

Anyway, the crimp should be as uniform and as tight as possible in order to create a tight seal to contain the steam. Some refer to this as a small pressure cooker, as the moisture from the vegetables is released within the pastry case during the bake-off process.

Once the crimping is finished and the characteristic knot is tied in, a small prick to the surface of the pastry is made to provide an outlet for the steam during cooking.

A baste with egg mix should be applied to the strength of a very dilute orange squash colour, this will turn golden and glow in the oven as the process unfolds.

Place the pasties onto a baking tray and send to a pre-heated oven at 200 deg C for 40 minutes, removing ten minutes before the end to add a final glaze of baste to colour.

In general a pasty when cooked should weigh in at approximately 290 grammes as a general rule of thumb!  Let us know what your favourite pasty recipe is or alternatively why not make a suggestion for other flavours or recipes for us to consider for Pasty of the Month, make a comment in the box below.

For more Pasty Recipes please take a look at these links below:-

Waitrose Pasty Recipe
Connies Pasty Recipe
Cook UK Pasty Recipe
BBC Pasty Recipe
Delias Pasty Recipe
Pasty Recipe

Cornish Pasty in the News – Voyage of the Mystery

1854 saw the end of an era in Cornish territories, the tin mining industry, which had been responsible for creating a population of mining families and settlers from wider shores, were in a state of collapse.  An exodus ensued, and the miners began to seek alternative sources of income. For one team of 7 ex-tin miners an adventure had begun at the Star Inn in Newlyn.  The decision was to embark on a journey to seek fortunes mining gold in foreign territories.

The 114 day voyage would take the crew from Penzance in Cornwall to Melbourne in Australia aboard a Cornish Lugger called the Mystery. The Mystery was built in Newlyn for mackerel diving and her overall length was 36 feet, with 32 feet of keel, 11 feet beam, drawing 6 feet of water and tonnage 16.  The Mystery was widely believed to be a fishing boat converted to a sailing yacht, the first voyage of it’s kind in an unorthodox vessel.

The famous voyage has recently been passaged by a British adventurer named Pete Goss together with his 14 year old son.  After setting sail in November the crew arrived in Williamstown, Melbourne on 9th March 2009.  Sailing in an exact replica of the Mystery, Pete Goss (an ex Royal Marine) took 116 days to complete the epic journey.  At the end of the journey the four man crew were greeted in Williamstown with a Cold Beer and a Cornish Pasty !

Next Page »