Zut alors! The traditional Cornish pasty has fallen into the hands of the French.
The meat and veg pastry has been a fiercely guarded West Country icon since the 14th century. But now a French firm has bought out Proper Cornish, one of the UK’s largest pasty makers.
Groupe Boncolac – which specialises in frozen desserts – insists there will be no change to the treats, baked in Bodmin.
But fans fear they will change. One moaned online: “They won’t be the same.”
Another said: “Now rebranded as ‘Proper French’. Nice tender frog’s leg, swede, onion and potato.”
Proper Cornish said the acquisition by Groupe Boncolac would open up export markets in Europe.
The Cornish Pasty Association added: “Their pasties will still be made at the same place, by the same team and with the same recipe.”
Cornish pasties must be made in Cornwall under geographic origin laws – and 120 million are produced each year, making up £300million of trade for Cornwall’s economy.
