ORKNEY Cheddar has joined Parma ham and Cornish pasties in gaining PGI status, meaning that it can only be produced in the specific region that gives the product its name.
It has taken four years of liaising with the Scottish Government and other official bodies to win the coveted accreditation from the EU.
General manager Tim Deakin is already seeing the benefits. “We were approached by retailers on the back of the PGI so it is opening doors to other retailers and channels we don’t currently supply.
“There is a protection to the accreditation too. We have worked for years on perfecting our unique technique. The PGI stops our product being imitated. Finally, being able to put the PGI logo on the pack helps us stand out more versus our competitors.”
“From a marketing standpoint the PGI really creates a unique point of difference,” said Christopher Huggon, brand manager at owner Lactalis McLelland UK. “Consumers are looking for something different and this encourages curiosity to buy something new.
“The PGI has also opened doors in other markets with Orkney Cheddar now being exported as far as Canada.”
