Cornish pasty company Warrens Bakery has declared itself the “oldest Cornish pasty maker in the world” after the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) confirmed that its heritage claims were valid. 

The ASA investigated the bakery’s claim that it was “the oldest Cornish pasty producer in the world, the oldest bakery in Cornwall and one of the oldest artisan bakers in the UK”, after one person challenged the statement.

The bakery sent a number of documents to the ASA, apparently proving that the shop had been in existence since 1873.

In a statement regarding the investigation, the ASA said: “We noted that Warrens Bakery were able to provide evidence to show that the brand had a long and established heritage, and we understood that the bakery had been founded at least 76 years before any of their trading competitors.

“Because of that, we considered that the claims were unlikely to mislead a consumer regarding the heritage of the brand or encourage them to make a purchase that they would not have made, had they been aware that the earliest official record of the bakery that Warrens Bakery held was dated 1873, not 1860.

“Therefore, we concluded that the claims were not misleading.”

The ASA ruled that there was no further action necessary.

Warrens Bakery, based in St Just, Cornwall, also produces savouries, scones, artisan breads and cakes.

The Cornish Pasty was awarded protected geographic indication status (PGI) in 2011, recognising its heritage in Cornwall.

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