Bodmin-based Proper Cornish Food Company has won a major contract to supply Sainsbury's with a premium chilled "taste the difference" traditional Cornish steak pasty.

Hand-made in Cornwall and using locally sourced ingredients where possible, the new Sainsbury's Taste the Difference pasty will be available at the group's stores across the country this summer.

The Sainsbury's contract is yet another significant development in the expansion of the family-run Cornish food business, which is one of the UK's leading hand-made pasty manufacturers.

Proper Cornish Food Company says it prides itself on producing authentic, great tasting pasties for the more discerning consumer - an ethos which matches the thinking behind the Sainsbury's Taste the difference range.

Thomas Munoz, the buyer for pies and quiches at Sainsbury's, said: "Our Taste the Difference range is all about quality, authenticity in sourcing and most of all, great taste, Proper Cornish Food Company more than meets this criteria.

Phil Ugalde, Proper Cornish Food Company: "Proper Cornish pasties are made using the best quality ingredients ensuring they taste delicious hot or cold, making them the ideal choice for those consumers who are always on the go."

"The company's focus on using only the finest, natural ingredients and its traditional approach to pasty-making make them a key supplier for Sainsbury's going forward.

"The introduction of a traditional Cornish pasty to the range meets the growing demand for top-quality, convenient food that can be eaten on the move."

The on-the-go savoury UK food market remains buoyant, with four in ten consumers reporting that they buy savoury pastries on the go.

Cornish pasties remain in favour with shoppers, forming the largest sector in the savoury on-the-go market.

This significant contract win is another success story for Proper Cornish, which recently launched it's own branded, pre-packed chilled range of pasties and a new range of "grab and go" mini Cornish shortbread biscuits.

Phil Ugalde, Proper Cornish Food Company managing director and co-founder, said: "We are delighted that our traditional steak pasty has been selected to form part of Sainsbury's well regarded Taste the Difference range.

"Proper Cornish pasties are made using the best quality ingredients ensuring they taste delicious hot or cold, making them the ideal choice for those consumers who are always on the go.

"Our traditional steak pasty is made to an age-old family recipe and baked the traditional way in Cornwall.

"At Proper Cornish we produce a large variety of exciting and delicious pasty fillings which are all extremely popular; however the traditional steak pasty remains the consumer favourite and is our best selling product to date.

"Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range embodies everything that Proper Cornish is about, and we look forward to developing our relationship further with the store."