Protection for the endangered pasty

Good news for Ginsters of Cornwall. Bad news for Greggs of Newcastle! The iconic Cornish Pasty has joined a select group of protected foods, including Champagne, Stilton cheese and Rioja wine, and has been awarded “protected food” status by the European Union.

The Guardian explains that the Cornish Pasty joins a select group of 42 other British protected products including Cornish clotted cream, Melton Mowbray pork pies and Arbroath Smokies. The announcement of European protection does not stop other producers from making other type of pasties but they won’t be able to sell them as ‘Cornish’. Greggs, which sell millions of the things every year, will now have to relabel and perhaps redesign their product. In the age of social media, the rumour is that Greggs will turn this into a promotional Facebook opportunity and invite customers to participate in the new product development process.

What business benefits does the protected status provide to manufacturers in Cornwall? Well, it allows them to benefit from secured demand from consumers who really do want the real thing. For the rest of us who just want a steaming hot pasty filled with mince, potato and onion, any old pasty will still probably do