Cornwall Gets Nasty Over Devon's Pasty Prize

[luke]

Cornwall Gets Nasty Over Devon's Pasty Prize

A row has erupted in the south west after a pie maker in Devon was given the prize for Britain's best Cornish pasty.

The decision prompted anger among bakers in Cornwall, who said that firms from the neighbouring county should be barred from entering the competition.

An appeal to disqualify the winners, Chunk of Devon, failed. Some Cornish bakers are now threatening to boycott next year's ceremony.

Chunk was given the top prize at the inaugural British Pie Awards ceremony last week.

Matthew O'Callaghan, the chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, who organised the competition, admitted that to have been eligible, pasties should have been made in Cornwall.

"There was supposed to be a disclaimer on the application form which stated all entrants to the Cornish Pasty competition must come from Cornwall," he said.

"It wasn't done and I have to admit it was an administrative cock-up."

Mr O'Callaghan said that while Chunk would keep its award because there had been an "honest mistake", next year the rules would be made much clearer.

The judges praised the Chunk pasty's taste, appearance, texture, size, pastry and local ingredients.

But, traditionalists say that to be worthy of the name, a Cornish pasty must have been made on the correct side of the River Tamar.

Ann Muller, of the Lizard Pasty Shop, said: "Why do they want to call their pasties Cornish? They're happy to call their cream teas Devonshire and we've got Cornish cream teas.

"Let them put their pasties into a competition but call it a Devonshire pasty. Don't forget where the border is."

Managing Director of Chunk, Simon Bryon-Edmond, defended his firm's right to the title, and accused Cornish rivals of complacency.

"It seems the Cornish may have got a bit podgy round the waist when it comes to pasty-making and have been relaxing and rather resting on their laurels," Mr Bryon-Edmond said.

"We were the underdogs in the competition but we know our pasty is a winner.

"All of our ingredients are free range and locally sourced, and there are no additives whatsoever. We also use butter rather than margarine.

"We like everything to be as natural as possible. The recipe is no great secret. We use the best ingredients and the best herbs and spices."

Debate over the origins of the pasty has long raged between the two counties.

In 2006 Todd Gray, a historian, discovered a shopping list written in Devon in 1510 which referred to ingredients to make pasties.

However, Les Merton, the author of the Official Encyclopedia of the Cornish Pasty, argued that cave drawings show that pasties, wrapped in leaves rather than pastry, were eaten in Cornwall as early as 8,000BC.

[faceless]

8000 year old cave-drawing pasties that weren't really pasties at all!?! I like that guy's style haha