Anne DesBrisay is the restaurant critic for Ottawa Magazine. She has been writing about food and restaurants in Ottawa-Gatineau for 25 years and is the author of three bestselling books on dining out. She is head judge for Gold Medal Plates and a member of the judging panel at the Canadian Culinary Championships.

He was quite right. I went home and Googled it. The Cornish Pasty, like Champagne or Parmigiano-Reggiano, has its own special designation, protected by the European Union as a special regional food. I hadn’t really believed him, but there it was.

“I didn’t much like pasties growing up,”  Matt Grant, owner of The Great British Pasty Company also told me. “They were made with minced meat, you see, not cubed steak like they’re supposed to be.”

But he likes them now. At least the ones he’s making. I like them too, particularly after learning more about their storied history.

Created out of necessity by thirteenth century Cornwall tin miners (or, more likely, by their wives) who needed hand-held lunch on-the-go for their deep dark work. And so the pasty was born. Essentially leftovers — cuts of meat, onion, potato, swedes (rutabagas) — wrapped up in a pastry casing that served as both container and handle.

Traditional British pasties are bought frozen and cooked for about 20 minutes. Photo by Anne DesBrisay

Grant’s gone beyond the traditional Cornish Pasty, taking delicious liberties, making Steak and Guinness pasties (from his mum’s recipe), Sophie’s Cottage Pasties (Sophie’s his sister), and Pulled Pork pasties, which are particularly good. He even has a sweet apple pasty, though I didn’t try it.

“There’s no rubbish in our stuff,” he tells me. The vegetables come from Needham’s Market Garden, the meat is Alberta’s finest, the pastry is his mum’s secret recipe.

The Great British Pasty & Pie Co truck was parked at The Ottawa Farmers’ Market at Lansdowne Park this past Sunday. You buy the pasties frozen and bake them off at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Or order them direct from Grant, 613-222-5121