PASTY makers from across the globe defied a week of extreme weather to descend on Cornwall’s Eden Project on Saturday for the seventh annual World Pasty Championships.

More than 200 pasties were entered into the competition, the highest number in the history of this grand celebration of Cornwall’s foodie gift to the world.

The event was the finale of the first-ever Cornish Pasty Week.

Among the big winners was the Pure Pasty Co., based in Vienna, Virginia in the Washington DC suburbs, who were victorious in the Open Savoury Company category with a barbecue chicken pasty made with sweet potato, zucchini, red pepper, corn and pineapple.

Gillian Francis, from St Cleer, won the coveted Cornish Pasty Amateur category and came third in the Open Savoury Amateur category despite only learning to crimp two weeks ago.

The mum-of-three, who is a teaching assistant at St Cleer Primary School, said: “I’ve been testing out my pasties on my three sons for years but didn’t know how to crimp properly so I had to ask my next-door neighbour to teach me a few weeks ago.

“This is the first time I’ve entered the World Pasty Championships and I’m absolutely overwhelmed and shocked to win. I thought my boys were playing a joke on me!”

Eden Project spokesman David Rowe said: “There was a great spirit today at our seventh World Pasty Championships. The pasty bakers made heroic efforts to be here despite everything the weather could throw at them this week.

“Huge thanks to our friends from the Cornish Pasty Association for helping us deliver the event as fitting end of the first-ever Cornish Pasty Week.”

As well as the pasty competition, Eden put on a fabulous day’s entertainment in the stage area. Britpop legends Dodgy, Cornwall-based 3 Daft Monkeys and legendary Redruth rappers Hedluv + Passman headed the music bill.