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Pork
Pie Victory For Melton Mowbray |
The makers
of Melton Mowbray pork pies are one step closer to gaining protected
name status for their products as the High Court has upheld the
Department of Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra) decision to forward the
application to the EU Commission.
The Melton
Mowbray Pork Pie Association (MMPPA) and the Department of Food and
Rural Affairs (Defra) are seeking to protect the area's recipe in a
market worth over £50 million a year. They have been arguing
that Melton Mowbray pork pies should only be produced in a 1,800
square mile area that includes Leicestershire, Lincolnshire,
Nottingham and Northampton. The Commission will now decide whether
the humble pork pie should be offered the same protection enjoyed by
Champagne, Stilton cheese and Parma ham.
Mike Lynd,
partner at Marks & Clerk the UK's leading firm of patent and
trade mark attorneys, commented:
"It would
seem that a victory is in store for the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie
Association (MMPPA) in their attempt to ensure Melton Mowbray pies
are safeguarded by a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). A
significant share of the pork pie market is currently held by
companies operating outside the designated 1,800 square mile region.
If this application is successful, then these manufacturers will be
forced to either to cease offering pork pies under the Melton Mowbray
name or to move their place of manufacture and adhere to the MMPPA's
specified recipe.
"The UK
has allowed just 35 geographical names to be protected. In contrast
France and Italy have well over a hundred protected foodstuffs and
Spain has 92. Ensuring geographical delicacies are recognised in this
way protects the integrity of high quality local produce and we
should be doing more. Perhaps if the UK were better at protecting its
local specialities we could help build our culinary reputation
amongst our more gastronomically renowned neighbours."
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