A PASTY shop has been ranked as one of the best in the UK for the tastiest classic pastry.

Our Cornish Pasty Shop in Gardner Street, Brighton, is one of only two pasty shops outside of Cornwall to make it into a list of the top 39 across the country.

The shop, which has previously won a silver medal at the Cornish Pasty World Championships for its vegan pasty, is also the only supplier outside of the South West to feature on a map of the best pasty shops nationwide.

The map uses data from Trip Advisor and Google reviews to show the pasty providers with the best customer ratings and has was compiled by holiday park operator Parkdean Resorts.

The family business in the North Laine is run by Ian Baldry and his wife Nese, who set up Our Cornish Pasty Shop 15 years ago.

The shop claims to be one of the earliest businesses to provide vegan pastry options – long before chains like Greggs cottoned on to the demand.

Ian said: “It’s really good news to hear we’re on the list.

“We’ve got a bakery down in Cornwall which makes the pasties but a few years after we opened they started to make pasties from our own recipes, including our vegan pasties.

“That made us stand out in many ways.

“I also think we sell some of the best cakes for miles around, as they’re all homemade here.

“Our traditional pasty is particularly good but our vegan Thai pasty is probably the most popular.

“We also think we actually invented the vegan sausage roll.

“I’m yet to find anyone who was commercially making them before 2005.”

Our Cornish Pasty Shop sells coffee and a range of homemade cakes as well as the Cornish classics, with fillings including including pork and apple, steak and Stilton, cheese, broccoli and sweetcorn and cheese and onion.

There is plenty for vegetarians and vegans to choose from, including a Mexican pasty and the award-winning vegan Thai pasty, made with vegetables, coconut milk and lemongrass.

The recipe for the Thai vegan pasty is used by Warrens Bakery in Cornwall – the oldest Cornish pasty producer in the world.

Ian said he had plans to celebrate the shop’s 15th anniversary tomorrow but has postponed a big event until next year.

He said: “We will be making a special cake but will hold off on celebrations until our 16th anniversary.

“Being in the North Laine, a lot of shops come and go and we’ve been around longer than a lot of our neighbours.

“This year has been about keeping our heads above water and surviving.

“We reopened after lockdown at the beginning of June and since then our sales have been about 55 per cent down, but this bank holiday has been our best day yet.

“Let’s hope things are changing that way for everyone.”

Our Cornish Pasty Shop also provides a delivery service for frozen pasties, pasty variety boxes and cakes.

To place an order and for more information, visit www.cornishpasty.shop or call the shop on 01273 688 063.