Cornish Pasties & Mining

Tens of thousands of people were employed in Cornwall’s tin and copper mines in the first half of the 19th century, and it was during this time that the Cornish pasty we recognise today flourished.

Filled with wholesome and sustaining ingredients like beef, potatoes, onion and swede, the Cornish pasty was perfectly suited to fuel the men who worked in the mines. Its thick shortcrust pastry kept the pasty warm until the men stopped for their “crib” or “crowst”, and was strong enough not to burst or split as it was taken into the mine.

The pasty was held by the crimp – the thick pastry crust which forms the seal around the contents – enabling the miner to eat it without risk of arsenic poisoning from dirty hands. The crimp was then discarded, some say as an offering to the “knockers”, the imp-like spirits who were believed to inhabit the mines.

As well as the savoury meat and potatoes, the miners’ pasties often contained a second, sweet filling in a separate section – a complete meal. The miners’ wives would sometimes mark their husband’s initials on the crust so they could go back to the leftovers at a later time in the day.