AFTER a four year campaign Orkney Cheddar has been awarded PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status by the EU. That puts the cheese on a par with Roquefort and Parmesan as a unique, protected product that can only be made in one specific location.
“We have worked for years on perfecting our unique technique,” said general manager Tim Deakin. “The PGI stops our product being imitated. And finally being able to put the PGI logo on the pack helps us stand out more against our competitors.
“Consumers are looking for something different and this encourages that curiosity to purchase something new as well as offering quality assurance.”
The dairy company reports that having the PGI logo on the packs has increased interest worldwide. Orkney Cheddar is now being exported to Canada and the company reports that there has been an increase in requests for product and tours of the factory come in every week since the accreditation.
