With a recently published report suggesting that pasties were in the top three of the UK’s favourite savoury products, it is unsurprising that newspapers and magazines are starting to pay more and more attention to the humble oggy.

The report, published in British Baker, found that beef pies have overtaken sausage rolls at the top (55% of people said these were their favourite) with sausage rolls slipping into second (53%) and Cornish pasties (45%) currently in third but rapidly catching up.

"The weekly magazine is normally focused on world news, politics and business."

Soon after this news, the lofty Economist magazine produced a short feature on the crimped beauty. In a sign of the increasing recognition and importance of the pasty – the weekly magazine is normally focused on world news, politics and business – the feature discusses the increase in outlets selling Cornish pasties “from Guildford to Glasgow” and the reasons for the rise.

Well aside from the obvious, that they’re blooming marvellous, a Cornish Pasty Association spokesperson (CPA) said that pasties are the perfect lunch for time-pressed workers. And he would be right: filling, tasty, nutritious and able to eat on the go. No wonder 45% of people say the pasty is their favourite pastry.

The Economist feature goes on to say that the increase in popularity may be down to a rise in quality …

“Pasties—at least, a soggy, shrink-wrapped version—have long been sold in petrol stations. The new breed is more upmarket.”

This, of course,  is true and blindingly obvious to me. Pasty shops such as Oggy Oggy and Cornish Bakehouse are prospering because people want top quality hot products, not something off a shelf, cold and poorly produced.

It would seem then that the Cornish pasty is in rude health; it’s popularity is growing in part due to a growing desire for the quality of its production.

With magazines with the punching power of The Economist throwing its sizable weight behind the pasty, this can only be a good thing. Tuck in I say, and maybe next year the pasty may have even topped the sausage roll. Now that would be an achievement.