Stories - Pasty

The story on the pasty tax is a story that everybody is talking about, both on a national and local scale, on the news and around college. Because of this, I felt it appropriate to run with it as a late inclusion as my main headline, as it has clearly captured the imagination of so many of late. For this story, I want to give an insight into why people are getting so annoyed and side with them, as to not appear to be on the side of the government. As well as this, I hope to get an interview with a pasty company worker or someone similar.

Update: I have written my article, and it is here:-

THE UNVAILING of this week’s budget by Chancellor George Osborne has been subject to widespread criticism by the South West after what appears to be a tax on pasties among what are deemed to be ‘hot take-away foods.’

The so-called ‘pasty tax,’ which will hit the pockets of pasty lovers throughout the country in the coming weeks, is an attempt by the government to tax unhealthy fast foods in an unprecedented move to place the 20% Value Added Tax, or VAT on hot food.

However, many see the Chancellor’s new tax as just another way of bailing out the fragile economy by taxing everyday people and  with this, there is increased pressure on Mr. Osborne to shelve the rise in price which some would argue will see hot food sales crumble in the near future.

It’s not just pasties that will be taxed though; all foods that are hotter than the ambient temperature of the room they are sold in will be subject to VAT – and this has spurred uproar from the Labour party as well as Greggs and local bakers Barnecutts.


Petition
Barnecutts, who have bakeries in Bodmin, Wadebridge, Liskeard and St Austell, have created a petition against the proposed tax action, and it is available to sign at any of their outlets. Naturally, Barnecutts and Greggs are fearful of losing some of their biggest buyers; families, who are already struggling with the increasing cost of living.

Customers weren’t warm to the idea either; one man outside the shop was furious when The Cornish Insight broke the news to him:

“Well, all I’ll say is nobody voted this government in and since then, everyday families like mine have struggled to make ends meet with the fuel prices, inflation, and now this.”

The plans are not coming in for at least a few weeks, but you can still sign Barnecutt’s petition or write to your local MP.

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As you will see, I failed to get an interview with Barnecutt's staff as they refused one, as did the staff at Costcutters. As time was running thin, I decided to interview a keen pasty eater outside Barnecutts on his opinions.

I also took some pictures for my main headline image. I wanted a photo of a half-eaten pasty on the front of my newspaper to lure people into it, as Cornish people are traditionally pasty-mad. The images are below.

 As I have said, I wanted a picture of a half-eaten pasty, so started taking different shots of one. The pasty though, which was admittedly very tasty, was not so photogenic, and I found that I needed to put it on the floor around a nice patch of grass to get a good effect. I like the image of the pasty on the grass because we are looking down on the pasty in an almost controlling way, where we are either embracing to eat it or looking at it, which I think could connote me giving readers an insight into the story. The same could be said about the other pictures of the inside of the pasty, though this did not give the effect I wanted for the leading story at all.