Melton pork pie fears grow

Matthew O'Callaghan (Lab) who is standing as a parliamentary candidate for the Loughborough constituency EMN-160911-133958001

Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg made a speech last week saying there would be the potential for companies in Europe to begin making products similar to iconic British food such as pork pies.

Now the UK is set to leave the EU, he argued, any legal protection currently enjoyed could be forfeited.

And Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association says it is keen to resolve the uncertainty with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The organisation’s chairman, Matthew O’Callaghan, said: “The concern we have is that other UK manufacturers might start making Melton Mowbray pork pies.

“We sought the protection initially because 40 per cent of the pies which were being made outside Melton were not using the right recipe or the proper ingredients.

“We need to know what the situation is going to be.

“We wrote to the Minister for Defra, George Eustace, in July but we are still waiting for a reply and we are losing time over this.”