Ginsters
A Cornish bakery brand best known in Britain for mass-produced pasties, sausage rolls and other savoury convenience foods.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Ginsters is a British bakery brand and food manufacturer based in Callington, east Cornwall. It is principally associated with the Cornish pasty, particularly its Original Cornish Pasty, but its range also includes sausage rolls, savoury slices, pork pies, hot pies, sandwiches, pasta bowls, flatbreads, wraps, packaged salads and other ready-to-eat savoury snacks. The brand operates in the mass-market convenience-food segment and distributes through supermarkets, convenience stores, petrol stations, pubs, cafés and motorway service stations across the United Kingdom. The business was established by Geoffrey Ginster in Cornwall in 1969. Ginster had previously moved from the West Midlands to the West Country, where he began producing clotted cream. After a dispute over the continuity of his milk supply, he relocated to Cornwall and started a pasty business in a largely disused egg-packing station. The original operation employed four people and used a recipe that Ginster described as having come from a ship's cook. Production expanded rapidly: by 1970, approximately 30 employees were making around 48,000 pasties per day. Early sales were concentrated in pubs, cafés, corner shops and small retailers in Plymouth and nearby coastal towns before the business expanded through southern England. In 1977, Geoffrey Ginster retired and sold the company to Mark and David Samworth. The acquisition brought Ginsters into the Samworth Brothers group and was followed by investment in larger-scale production, factory modernization and automated baking and packing. An adjoining facility was developed as Tamar Bakery, while a second bakery, Lynher Bakery, opened in 1987. By 1984, the company was making about 1.5 million pasties per week and had become one of the largest private-sector employers in east Cornwall. Ginsters began a more prominent advertising and promotional programme in 1990. This helped move the brand beyond regional outlets and into major supermarkets, filling stations, convenience retailers and motorway-service networks. The company has described its Original Cornish Pasty as a leading product in Britain's savoury-pastry market. The product is made according to the brand's established recipe and belongs to a category that gained protected geographical indication status in the European Union in 2011, although the protection applies to qualifying Cornish pasties generally rather than creating exclusive ownership of the category for Ginsters. From the 1990s onward, Ginsters broadened its portfolio beyond traditional pasties. It added multiple pasty fillings, savoury slices, sausage rolls, pork pies, hot pies, sandwiches and newer chilled or packaged meal formats. The company has also emphasized sourcing ingredients from farms near its Cornish operations. In response to growing demand for plant-based convenience foods, Ginsters introduced vegan products from 2019, including a Moroccan vegetable pasty. Further vegan fillings, such as Bombay potato and spinach and Cajun-spiced sweet potato and chickpea, followed in 2021. Brand visibility has also been supported by sports sponsorship. Ginsters sponsored Plymouth Argyle Football Club from 2002 to 2011 and returned as a sponsor under a three-year agreement beginning in 2016. It has additionally supported local clubs including Callington Town Football Club, Callington Rugby Club and Launceston Rugby Club. In motorsport, it became title sponsor of Speedworks Motorsport's British Touring Car Championship entry in 2019, which competed under the Team Toyota GB with Ginsters name. Ginsters remains a Samworth Brothers brand focused on accessible, portable bakery foods for the British retail and food-to-go market.
History
Ginsters traces its roots to the Ginster family's earlier business supplying horse manure to foundries for use in mould-making. That operation was based first in West Bromwich and later at Longwood Lane in Walsall. After the Second World War, Geoffrey Ginster sought to move with his family to the West Country. He initially settled in Devon and developed a successful clotted-cream business. When the Milk Marketing Board threatened to stop supplying his business with milk unless he sold it, Ginster relocated to Cornwall and changed direction. In 1969, Ginster began producing Cornish pasties in a near-derelict egg-packing station. The initial workforce numbered four people. Ginster promoted the product as being based on a secret recipe that he said came from a ship's cook. Production grew quickly, reaching approximately 48,000 units per day with a staff of about 30 by 1970. The pasties were first sold through pubs, cafés, corner shops and other small retailers in Plymouth and nearby seaside towns. Distribution later expanded across southern England. Geoffrey Ginster retired in 1977 and sold the company to Mark and David Samworth. The transaction brought Ginsters into Samworth Brothers and created the foundation for its subsequent industrial expansion. The new owners acquired and modernized an adjoining facility, renamed it Tamar Bakery and installed larger-scale baking and packaging equipment. The original Ginsters bakery was eventually closed after the newer operation came into service. By 1984, production had reached roughly 1.5 million pasties per week, making the business a major private-sector employer in east Cornwall. In 1987, Ginsters opened Lynher Bakery beside Tamar Bakery, named after the nearby River Lynher. The company began a more substantial advertising and promotional effort in 1990. The campaign period helped establish Ginsters products in national retail channels, including supermarkets, petrol stations, convenience stores and motorway service stations. The Original Cornish Pasty became the central product associated with the brand. Cornish pasties received protected geographical indication status in the European Union in 2011, reinforcing the regional identity of the product category while allowing compliant producers to continue making and selling qualifying Cornish pasties. During the 1990s and afterward, Ginsters diversified its product range. In addition to its core pasties, it developed savoury slices, sausage rolls, pork pies, hot pies, sandwiches, pasta bowls, flatbreads, wraps, packaged salads and other savoury snacks. The brand has stated that it sources ingredients from farms neighbouring its Cornish production base, linking its industrial scale with a regional sourcing narrative. Ginsters later responded to the growth of plant-based eating. From 2019 it introduced vegan products, beginning with a Moroccan vegetable pasty that received an award in 2020. In 2021 it extended the vegan range with Bombay potato and spinach and Cajun-spiced sweet potato and chickpea fillings. Sponsorship has been an additional part of Ginsters' public profile. The company sponsored Plymouth Argyle Football Club from 2002 to 2011 and resumed the relationship in 2016 with a three-year deal. It has also supported sports organizations close to its Cornwall base, including Callington Town Football Club, Callington Rugby Club and Launceston Rugby Club. In 2019, Ginsters became title sponsor of Speedworks Motorsport's British Touring Car Championship programme, whose Toyota Corolla entry competed as Team Toyota GB with Ginsters. The brand continues to operate as part of Samworth Brothers, serving the British retail, food-to-go and convenience-food markets.
- 2021
Additional vegan fillings launched
[1]The brand adds Bombay potato and spinach and Cajun-spiced sweet potato and chickpea pasties.
- 2019
Vegan range introduced
[1]Ginsters launches vegan products including a Moroccan vegetable pasty.
- 2011
Cornish pasty receives protected geographical indication status
[1]The Cornish pasty category gains European Union protected geographical indication status.
- 1990
National advertising and promotion begins
[1]Ginsters increases advertising and promotional activity as it expands into national retail and travel outlets.
- 1987
Lynher Bakery opens
[1]The company opens a second bakery beside Tamar Bakery.
- 1984
Large-scale pasty production
[1]Ginsters is producing about 1.5 million pasties per week and is a major private employer in east Cornwall.
- 1977
Business acquired by Samworth Brothers
[1]Geoffrey Ginster retires and sells the business to Mark and David Samworth.
- 1970
Early production expands
[1]The business reaches approximately 48,000 pasties per day with a workforce of about 30.
- 1969
Ginsters begins Cornish pasty production
[1]Geoffrey Ginster starts making pasties in a former egg-packing station in Cornwall.
Products and positioning
Mass-market British bakery and convenience food with strong Cornish heritage, focused on portable savoury pastries and ready-to-eat meal products.
Cornish pasty · 1969
Original Cornish Pasty
Ginsters' signature product and the item most closely associated with the brand. It is made according to the company's established recipe and is distributed through supermarkets, convenience stores, petrol stations, food-service outlets and motorway service stations. The product sits at the intersection of regional Cornish food identity and industrially produced, portable convenience food.
Savoury pastries
Savoury pastry range
A broader portfolio built around filled pastry products, including alternative pasty fillings, savoury slices, sausage rolls, pork pies and hot pies. These products extend the brand beyond its flagship Cornish pasty while retaining its focus on handheld or easily served bakery foods.
Convenience foods
Sandwiches and chilled meal formats
Ginsters' non-pastry range includes sandwiches, pasta bowls, flatbreads, wraps and packaged salads. These products broaden the brand into chilled food-to-go and ready-to-eat meal occasions.
Vegan savoury pastry · 2019
Vegan Moroccan Vegetable Pasty
A plant-based pasty introduced as part of Ginsters' move into vegan convenience foods. The product helped establish a dedicated vegan offering within the brand's traditional savoury-pastry portfolio and received an award in 2020.
Vegan savoury pastry · 2021
Vegan Bombay Potato and Spinach Pasty
A plant-based pasty filling added in 2021 as part of the expansion of Ginsters' vegan range.
Vegan savoury pastry · 2021
Vegan Cajun-Spiced Sweet Potato and Chickpea Pasty
A second 2021 vegan filling combining sweet potato and chickpea with Cajun-style seasoning.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Team Toyota GB with Ginsters
United Kingdom
Ginsters became title sponsor of Speedworks Motorsport's British Touring Car Championship entry, which competed under the Team Toyota GB with Ginsters name.
Outcome. The sponsorship connected the brand with a nationally visible motorsport programme using a Toyota Corolla.
- 2016Plymouth Argyle sponsorship renewal
Southwest England
Ginsters returned as a Plymouth Argyle sponsor under a three-year agreement.
Outcome. The agreement renewed the brand's association with a prominent football club in its regional market.
- 2002Plymouth Argyle Football Club sponsorship
Southwest England
Ginsters began sponsoring Plymouth Argyle Football Club.
Outcome. The initial sponsorship relationship continued until 2011.
- 1990National advertising and promotional expansion
United Kingdom
Ginsters increased advertising and promotional activity to raise awareness and support distribution of its products through supermarkets, petrol stations, convenience stores and motorway service stations.
Outcome. The brand expanded beyond its earlier concentration in pubs, cafés and small retailers in southwest England and developed a broader national presence.
Brand decisions
2021
Expansion of vegan pasty fillingsProduct launchBackground
Following the introduction of its vegan range, Ginsters sought to offer additional flavor profiles within the category.
Action taken
The company introduced Bombay potato and spinach and Cajun-spiced sweet potato and chickpea fillings.
Aftermath
The vegan range became a more established part of the brand's savoury-pastry portfolio.
2019
Entry into vegan savoury pastriesProduct launchBackground
Demand for plant-based convenience foods was creating an opportunity beyond the brand's traditional meat-filled products.
Action taken
Ginsters introduced vegan products, including a Moroccan vegetable pasty.
Aftermath
The company expanded the plant-based range with additional fillings in 2021.
1990
Shift toward national retail distributionStrategyBackground
Ginsters had initially sold mainly through local and regional food-service and convenience outlets.
Action taken
The company increased advertising and promotion while pursuing listings in supermarkets, petrol stations, convenience stores and motorway service stations.
Aftermath
The brand developed a wider United Kingdom retail and food-to-go presence.
1977
Sale to Samworth BrothersM&ABackground
Geoffrey Ginster retired after establishing the Cornish pasty business and decided to sell it.
Action taken
Mark and David Samworth acquired Ginsters, bringing it into Samworth Brothers.
Aftermath
The new ownership supported factory investment, modernization, automation and subsequent product-range expansion.
Recent events
Ginsters Smoky Steak and Guinness slice launches[2]
Reported:
Ginsters and Guinness launched a new Ginsters Smoky Steak and Guinness slice, developed as a collaboration between the brands.
Guinness and Ginsters team up on a savoury slice[2]
Reported:
Guinness and Ginsters joined forces to develop and launch a new Ginsters Smoky Steak and Guinness slice.
Ginsters and Quorn announce a vegan peppered steak slice[3]
Reported:
Ginsters teamed up with Quorn to launch a vegan version of Ginsters’ peppered steak slice. The product was scheduled to roll out to multiple retailers from 12 October.
Sources3 sources
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