Fuel pump and outlet valve seat thereof

A fuel pump includes a fuel pump housing with a pumping chamber and an outlet valve bore extending along an outlet valve bore axis; a pumping plunger which reciprocates within a plunger bore along a plunger bore axis which is traverse to the outlet valve bore axis; and an outlet valve assembly. The outlet valve assembly includes an outlet valve seat with an outlet flow passage, wherein a first portion of the outlet valve seat is aligned with the pumping plunger in a direction parallel to the plunger bore axis and wherein a second portion of the outlet valve seat is not aligned with the pumping plunger in a direction parallel to the plunger bore axis and an outlet valve member which is moveable between an unseated position which provides fluid communication through the outlet flow passage and a seated position which prevents fluid communication through the outlet flow passage.