Putting a price on pasty's worth

The pasty was first identified in about 1300

Research shows the Cornish pasty, once the staple diet of miners and farmers, is now worth more than £150m a year to the county's economy.

The study shows that each year 86m "oggies" are made in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Research by Cornwall Taste of the West reveals that the savoury is now a favourite throughout the UK.

Manager Angie Coombs says the pasty is a favourite with locals, visitors and fast food fans around the UK.

Traditional pasty ingredients Raw beef Swede Potato Onion

She said: "It's very much part of the Cornish way of life and it's something visitors to the region expect to be a Cornish product.

"Everybody eats pasties at different times of the day and people depend on it as a staple of the Cornish diet."

The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the pasty was identified in around 1300.

It became more commonplace in the 16th and 17th Centuries, and by the 18th century was firmly established as the staple diet of working men across Cornwall.