Carrs Pasties has partnered with Aardman animation studio to launch a new pasty to mark the 30th anniversary of Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers.
Inspired by Wallace’s status as a cheese connoisseur, the Bolton-based bakery business has created the More Cheese, Ham & Chilli Jam Pasty.
It comprises four cheeses – Mature Cheddar, Red Leicester, mozzarella, and of course, Wensleydale – with pulled ham and caramelised onion, all encased in Carrs’ signature golden puff pastry. A sachet of tangy chilli dip is also included as an accompaniment to each purchase.
The pasty, priced at £2.35, is being served at all four of Carrs’ shops across the Bolton area from today (7 August). It will also be available to order as a frozen product for nationwide delivery, with selected trade customer stores set to stock it as well.
As part of the partnership, a new logo ident along with new packaging has been created, as well as a promotional image showing Wallace and Gromit each holding mini models of the pasties.
Carrs Pasties director Matt Carr said the company was very excited about the partnership. “Aardman’s values and purpose align so much with our own, and we can’t wait for our customers to try the pasty,” he said.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever launched a product with a dip but the flavours work perfectly. Working with the team at Aardman has been a pleasure so far and we hope to continue the relationship into the future,” Carr added.
According to Aardman’s senior brand manager Rachael Peacock, the animation studio was delighted to be working with an independent, family-run business on a new pasty flavour.
“The More Cheese, Ham & Chilli Jam pasty is full of invention just like Wallace, and with his love of cheese and his northern roots – I’m sure he would approve,” added Peacock. “We can’t wait for Wallace & Gromit fans to tuck in with a nice cup of tea, eh Gromit!”
As part of Carrs marketing campaign for the new pasty, a radio ad will run throughout August on Global Hits and Rock FM giving listeners a chance to win a family day out at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (home of Wallace & Gromit’s Thrill-o-Matic ride) along with spending money.
The Wrong Trousers was released in December 1993, and kicked off a winning run of Academy Awards for the Wallace & Gromit films. The franchise was also credited with reviving the popularity of Wensleydale cheese in the nineties, which also helped ensure the survival of Wensleydale Creamery.
Growth plans
Carrs Pasties opened its fourth shop at Middlebrook Retail Park on the outskirts of Bolton last month. The company also has an ecommerce site, click & collect service, events catering service, and offers nationwide delivery. In addition, over 100 UK trade customers bake-off and sell its core range of pasties on their premises including Meat & Potato, Cheese, Steak, Cheese & Jalapeno, and Chicken Ham & Leek varieties, as well as sausage rolls.
Carrs recently revealed a partnership with Yorkshire HR consultancy firm Howarths to implement a bespoke people development strategy to drive employee engagement and support ambitious growth plans.
This includes targetting annual sales of £15m by 2026, which would be almost double its expected turnover of £7.8m for this year and nearly three times that of the £5.8m total revenue reported in 2022.
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