A famous Cornish bakery company is ensuring its pasty-making waste is kept out of the sewer network thanks to support from South West Water and its partnership with Environmental Compliance and Services (ECAS).
Rowe’s Bakery has been serving traditional Cornish crimped pasties for generations, as well as other savoury treats including sausage rolls and pastry treats across its bakeries.
As demand for this local delicacy continues, Rowe’s is focused on ensuring its production is as sustainable as it is delicious.
The bakery has been working closely with ECAS to ensure its pasty-making waste is kept out of the sewers. This includes fat, oil and grease (FOG), vegetable peelings and pasty dough - materials that can cause blockages and pollutions if they enter the sewer network.
Richard Price, Managing Director of Wastewater Services at South West Water, said: “It’s great to see an iconic Cornish business like Rowe’s taking positive steps to keep fat, oil, grease and food waste out of the sewer network. Partnerships like this show how simple changes can make a big difference in reducing blockages and protecting the region’s coastline and communities.”
ECAS works on behalf of South West Water, both reactively by investigating sites linked to sewer blockages and proactively by visiting businesses like Rowe’s in known hotspot areas where blockages are more likely to occur.
In 2025, South West Water cleared over 7,000 avoidable blockages from its wastewater network, removing approximately 450 tonnes of waste. Around three-quarters of these blockages were caused by just two things: wet wipes and FOG.
Following site visits and technical advice from ECAS, Rowe’s is upgrading its grease management measures at some of its bakeries, including installing new grease traps at its Bodmin, Camborne, Newquay, Penzance and Redruth stores.
Anthony Crocker, Facilities Manager at Rowe’s, said: “We’ve really welcomed the support from ECAS and South West Water. They’ve helped us review how we manage our waste and identify practical improvements that make a real difference.
“We’re proud of our pasties and keen to make sure Cornwall’s favourite treat is produced in a way that doesn’t harm the beautiful Cornish countryside or coastline. Working together means we can keep improving while continuing to serve the quality our customers expect.”
Marc Downes, Regional Performance Manager at ECAS, added: “My team proactively visited Rowe’s and other food businesses as part of South West Water’s ‘Bin It Don’t Block It’ campaign to target areas of Cornwall where blockages were more prevalent. Together with Rowe’s, we’re helping prevent sewer blockages and reduce the risk of pollution from blocked pipes, which can cause waste to spill into communities and the environment.
“I’m not a Cornishman myself, but I travel to Cornwall often for work, and I can honestly say they’re a difficult food to resist. The smell alone is so enticing!”
For more information visit the Bin It, Don’t Block It Page