Cornish Pasty Week is returning for the third time – and will this year be helping support people without a permanent home.

Running from 23 to 29 February, the week includes the World’s Fastest Crimper competition and finishes with the World Pasty Championships, at the Eden Project.

The Cornish pasties made at the World’s Fastest Crimper competition will be given to Coastline Housing’s Homeless Service at Pool. And Cornish Pasty Week supporter Towergate Insurance will be supplying St Petroc’s soup kitchens with pasties during the week.

“We know the Cornish pasty is in a league of its own when it comes to flavour, convenience and heritage, but are nevertheless always astounded by the way so many people seem to take the Cornish pasty to their hearts,” said Jacob Jobling, chairman of the Cornish Pasty Association.

“It’s definitely got a lot to do with the love there is for this beautiful county, and the happy times people have here, but I believe it is also because it’s such an uncomplicated product, filled with fresh, natural, well-balanced ingredients that satisfy the appetite and the soul.”

A recent survey of 2,000 people revealed eating a Cornish pasty is number 20 on respondents’ ultimate top 50 bucket list.

Organisers said many people have asked about the impact of Brexit on the PGI (the EU’s legal protection ensuring only producers of genuine pasties, made in Cornwall to a specified recipe, can be sold).

“At least as far as sales within the UK are concerned, we’re reassured the scheme will maintain the existing EU protections so it’s therefore going to be very much ‘business as usual’ for us,” added Jobling.

Each year, Cornish Pasty Week features an initiative for the local community. In 2019, the Cornish Pasty Association donated pasties to emergency services across the county, including ambulance, fire, lifeboat and blood transport crews.