Cornish Pasty

About the Business

Specialties

Cornish Pasties, Salads, desserts, English food, British food

History

Established in 2009.

The Cornish Pasty originates from Cornwall (Southwest England) and can be traced back as far as the 1200's. At that time, pasties were baked by wives and mothers of tin miners; which was once a thriving industry in Cornwall. The pasties were made with a thick crimped edge along one side; which the miners would use as a handle and hold onto while eating. This was extremely useful because a miner's hand would often be covered in arsenic from the mines. The miners would discard the handle when they were done, so they could never poison themselves while eating. The crusts were never wasted, though, as many miners were believers that ghosts, or "knockers", inhabited the mines. The leftovers of the crusts would keep these ghosts content. The wives and mothers of the miners would make the pasties with different fillings at each end - one with a sweet filling, which would be marked with an initial so the miner would not eat his dessert first, and the other with meat and vegetables.

Meet the Business Owner

Business owner information

Dean T.

Business Owner

Owner Dean Thomas, 37, a Cornwall native, opened the first Cornish Pasty Co. in Tempe in 2005. It was an immediate success, and he added another unit in Mesa in 2008.Pasties (pronounced "PASS-tees") originated in Cornwall during the 19th century. Prepared by miners' wives, they're hand-held pastry pouches, traditionally filled with beef and vegetables, which the men ate at work. Thomas has greatly expanded the repertoire: Cornish Pasty Co. offers dozens of varieties, ranging from lamb vindaloo to carne asada.Read more at www.azcentral.com