Cumbrian food producers should be protected, says minister
MORE Cumbrian food producers should try for protected status and join iconic foods like Stilton cheese, Cornish clotted cream and Arbroath smokies, the environment minister has said.
Environment minister Huw Irranca-Davies, who was yesterday visited the Westmorland County Show at Milnthorpe, said traditional food producers in Cumbria should apply for protected status for their products, to boost sales and local food tourism.
He said: “Cumbria has some very tasty treasures. Traditional Cumberland Sausage and Lakeland Herdwick Lamb, for example, are both going through the process of applying for protected status.
“Local delicacies attract people from all over the world because the taste and quality are unique. Local businesses and local communities thrive because of this heritage, and I know that here in Cumbria farm businesses are also making and selling local foods. That’s something that deserves recognition.”
EU Protected Food Name status highlights regional and traditional foods whose authenticity and origin can be guaranteed. Under the system a named food or drink registered at a European level will be given legal protection against imitation throughout the EU.
There are 38 products currently registered in the UK, including Melton Mowbray Pork Pies, West Country Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese and Whitstable Oysters.
