Sweet-savoury pastie back on menu

The pastie has been brought up to date for 21st Century tastes

A half-savoury, half-sweet pastie based on those eaten by copper miners in the 19th Century could make a comeback.

A search is on for a company to produce a modern version of the Parys Pastie.

An old recipe based on the one enjoyed by workers on Parys mountain, Anglesey has been adapted by the Food Technology Centre, part of Coleg Menai, Llangefni.

The "two-tone" pastie in thick short crust pastry had a meat and vegetable mix on one side and fruit and jam on the other, creating a "meal in one".

Previous attempts to get commercial interest in the pastie failed, but local enterprise agency Menter Môn is relaunching the product as a healthier fast-food.

In the end everyone on our tasting panels thought the lamb and mint, with apple and cinnamon, was the best Ben Lee, food technician

However, it stipulates that any company which wants to produce the pasties will have to be based on Anglesey.

"We would like a company to adopt this product to produce it commercially because we feel it is very good," said Jane Roberts, food and agriculture officer with Menter Môn.

"The idea was adapted from an old recipe which the copper miners at Parys mountain used to eat," she added.

"It was a very interesting project to work on, very exciting, because I felt it had such potential of becoming a popular product," said Ben Lee, the food technician who did the research.

He discovered the recipe was probably taken to Anglesey by Cornish miners travelling to the area looking for work.

WHAT'S IN A PARYS PASTIE? Diced lamb Mix of onion, swede, carrots, potatoes Thick mint sauce Cracked black pepper, sea salt Apple, caster sugar, cinnamon Thick short crust pastry

Prime cuts

The thick crust was used to both hold the filling and also provided a way for the miners to hold their food without the need to wash their hands.

Traditionally, the pasties would have the man's initials cut into the meat side to show the difference between it and the sweet side. The Parys pastie is glazed on the sweet side, to prevent anyone eating their pudding before the main course.

The original pastie would have contained cheaper cuts of meat and left-overs, but the new version is made up of prime cuts of local lamb with all the ingredients from Wales.

"We originally had five to six recipes but in the end everyone on our tasting panels thought the lamb and mint, with apple and cinnamon, was the best," said Mr Lee.

"This is a great business opportunity for someone, and Menter Môn can help with set-up costs, providing the company's based on the island," added Ms Roberts.