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Cheese-makers clear final hurdle in legal fight to gain Euro status for Wensleydale
THE makers of Wensleydale Cheese have cleared the final hurdle in their bid to give the product protected food status, with a decision on its application expected next summer.
Video: Inside the Wenselydale creamery
The historic Wensleydale Creamery has completed the last stages of its proposal to European Commission officials in Brussels and now has in its sights an end to its fight to win special Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) classification for the cheese.
If granted, the authorisation will give Wensleydale cheese the same status and protection as Parma Ham and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies - meaning imposters from anywhere outside the Dale would be legally prevented from using the name Real Yorkshire Wensleydale.
The creamery, based in the Dales town of Hawes, has been working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to secure the status - with the Yorkshire Post officially backing the campaign.
The application has been passed and approved by Defra and has been submitted to the European Commission with the support of the UK Government.
The final stage for the application will be completed when its validated by the European Commission following a formal six month window for objections from other EU countries.
David Hartley, the Wensleydale Creamery's managing director, said: "Applying for PGI status will protect the integrity and provenance of our cheese and elevate it above and differentiate it from manufacturers outside the region.
"We strongly believe that it is important to use EU protection to safeguard the only Wensleydale cheese actually made in Wensleydale.
"Real Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese is a community-based product, built on centuries of tradition and it is made in Wensleydale by local skilled people, using locally produced milk from family farms."
Mr Hartley added: "The brand is a precious asset to the area, with the livelihoods of more than 200 creamery workers and more than 50 family-run farms in Wensleydale depending on the creamery."
The cheese is made from the same time-honoured recipe that was first developed by Cistercian monks more than 800 years ago.
mark.casci.ypn.co.uk
Mark Casci Agricultural Correspondent
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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