The pasty originally evolved to meet the needs of Cornish tin miners who needed a hearty meal. Wrapping it up in a pastry casing made it a very practical lunch or ‘Crowst’.

Some Cornish mines even built huge ovens on the surface to keep the miners' pasties hot until it was time to eat. Miners’ wives would put their husband’s initials on the left-hand side of the casing.

Down in the dark damp tunnels, Cornish miners could hold their pasties by the crust side without putting their dirty hands on their lunch. You could say that the Cornish pasty was the ultimate pre-packed food-to-go and the first in history!

Cornish miners often left a corner of their pasty for the ’little people’ of the mines believed to cause all manner of misfortune, unless placated with a small amount of food.