MEP Adds his Support to Creamery’s PDO Bid

Mar 23, 2010

The Wensleydale Creamery has hosted a visit by Euro MP Timothy Kirkhope, who added his support to its campaign to secure protected food name status for its Real Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese.

Mr Kirkhope, who is MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber and leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament, was given a guided tour of The Wensleydale Creamery.

Here he was shown how Real Yorkshire Wensleydale is handcrafted to a time-honoured recipe by a team of master cheese makers.

The Wensleydale Creamery, which has cheese making sites at Hawes and Kirby Malzeard, is seeking protected food name status for Real Yorkshire Wensleydale to differentiate it from other Wensleydale Cheese on the market.

The submission for Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) is currently being processed in Brussels and it is hoped that a decision will be made later this year. Mr Kirkhope said: “Consumers are concerned about the integrity, quality and origins of what they eat and that is why labelling food with an official stamp of authenticity is so important.

“Real Yorkshire Wensleydale is a distinctive, traditional local food, which richly deserves to be accredited with protected food name status.

“I am a staunch advocate of campaigns that will help the Yorkshire economy, and will be voicing my support for The Creamery’s PDO application within the European Parliament.”

David Hartley, The Wensleydale Creamery’s Managing Director, said: “Timothy Kirkhope is an important member of the European Parliament and therefore it was crucial to our PDO campaign for him to visit The Creamery to personally experience how Real Yorkshire Wensleydale is made and learn at first hand how important it is to the economic well-being of the surrounding area. “

 

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