Farm-produced drinks: Traditional Welsh Perry and Cider receive protected status
Traditional Welsh Perry and Traditional Welsh Cider are the latest UK products to be awarded protected status by the European Commission.
They join other iconic Welsh products, such as Welsh Laverbread, Welsh Lamb and Halen Môn/Anglesey Sea Salt, in being recognised for their distinct quality and awarded protection against imitation and misuse.
The European Protected Geographical Indication status (PGI) will guarantee consumers the confidence they are drinking the genuine Welsh product when they buy Welsh Perry and Welsh Cider.
At present, the UK has 67 registered Geographical Indication products, with the majority of these registrations relating to the meat and cheese sectors.
Among those are West Country beef and lamb, where stock is born, raised, finished and slaughtered in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Dorset or Wiltshire.
The beef and lamb must be at least 70% forage fed and must spend a minimum of six months grazing.
Farm-produced drinks
In total, 14 Welsh products have now been awarded protected status.
Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said: “This is further evidence of the success of the Welsh food and drink sector and the effectiveness of our strategy to support it.
“We are forging a reputation for developing unique, high quality products and the industry is already more than half way towards reaching our target of 30% growth from 2014 to 2020.
“The recognition from the European Commission is important as it demonstrates the quality of Wales’ produce as we strive to reach new markets to grow the industry and prepare for a future outside of the EU."
Traditional Welsh Perry and Traditional Welsh Cider are re-emerging products that were largely farm-produced drinks using perry pears and cider apples grown in nearby orchards and made for local consumption.
The revival of these drinks has been based on artisan producers rediscovering and restoring ancient orchards and planting new orchards.
In terms of what will happen to PGI products when the UK leaves the EU, a report says the UK may still receive EU protection from imitations – provided the UK does the same for European products.
That’s according to an AHDB Horizon publication, which examines the impact Brexit may have on the industry in terms of products of Geographical Indication.