Sonson’s Pasty Company has been serving its savory, buttery pasties to Arizonans for just over a year and a half, drawing customers from hours away, thanks to its delicious, authentic taste and wide selection of options.
Owner Julie Mercer learned how to make the pasties growing up in the home of pasties — Cornwall, England.
“It’s part of the culture. It’s something that you grow up with in England,” she said. “In Cornwall, you grow up eating them and grow up watching your parents or your grandparents make them. My mom used to make them, but I only really learned how to make them when I got a job making them. I learned how to do it right, crimp them and make them look nice.”
After spending nearly a decade making pasties in England, Julie knew she wanted to open a pasty shop of her own one day, but didn’t move forward until there was a restructure at her previous company.
“My dream was always to open a pasty shop, but that didn’t come to fold until a couple of years ago,” she said. “There was a restructure of the managers at the company I worked for and I took the severance, so this was my chance to start up the business, and that’s what I decided to do.”
Through Sonson’s Pasty Company, Julie honors the rich tradition of the pasty with authentic, time-honored dishes. The pasties are known for their versatility, as they can be eaten easily on the go or enjoyed on a plate while sitting down.
“The history of the pasty is super important,” Julie said. “The history books trace back to the year 1300, when people started making pasties. It really turned into something when the tin miners would eat them. Their wives would make the pasties to take down in the mine and they would have them for lunch.”
“If you look at all the immigrants that came over and settled in America, the Finnish people brought their own take on the pasty, the Italians have the calzone and the Spanish people have the empanada. Everyone from each country seems to have a take on it, but the pasty originated in Cornwall, England,” she continued.
Today, Julie is bringing the traditional and the innovative together with a varied menu including classic recipes such as the steak or ground beef pasty with potatoes, onion, rutabaga and gravy, as well as plant-based options and uniquely Southwest pasties like chicken green chili — to name a few.
Pasty enthusiasts can either take a hot one ready to go, buy them to heat up at home, or even stock up on frozen pasties.
Sonson’s Pasty Company is located at 6060 E. Brown Road in Mesa. For more information, visit sonsonspastyco.com, or call (480) 845-8485.