Food producers, retailers and consumers are being invited to share their views on the Geographical Indication (GI) scheme through a consultation, launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Geographically Protected Foods.
The results of the consultation, which was developed with input from food experts including the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise, will be shared with the government.
Rachel Mallows MBE is the founder of Food from England, which is getting behind the consultation. The new group was created last November from over 30 regional groups jointly representing more than 40,000 producers.
She said: “We’re so proud to be able to boast of hundreds of brilliant food and drink specialists whose use of the best local ingredients and traditional methods have made the UK’s food scene a force to be reckoned with around the world.
“Now, by asking producers, retailers, consumers and businesses to help shape how the GI scheme will operate in the future, we’re confident that international reputation can only be strengthened further and we hope that anyone who shares our passion for all things epicurean will play their part.
Mallows, who also runs member group Made in Northamptonshire, added: “We’re also delighted that, with just 65 GI products here in the UK compared with France’s 217 and the Italians’ 267, we can all help to identify more products to be included in the scheme so that, who knows, some of our own county’s gourmet delights (like Brixworth pate or Northamptonshire sauce) might earn their GI stamp of quality and one day rightly be celebrated alongside the likes of Stilton cheese and Whitstable oysters.”
The All-Party Parliamentary Group’s founder and chair, Alicia Kearns MP, commented: “It is vital that we make the GI scheme even better so that local food producers can take advantage of new opportunities at home and abroad and all of us can support our wonderful heritage foods.
“Anyone who enjoys, sells or produces our great British foods and drinks should make sure to have their say, and give the government a full picture of the food and drink landscape to make sure we have a world-leading GI scheme.
“We have already received extremely helpful feedback from many GI producers. Your views will make a huge difference to how the Government develops the GI scheme.”
The consultation survey, which will be open until Sunday 27th June, can be found here.
