​There are three EU Geographical Indications (sometimes referred to as protected Food Names – PFNs) Protected Designation of Origin – PDO, Protected Geographical Indication – PGI and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed -TSG. Read more on http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/schemes_en
For 20 years, producers of PFN products have had to rely upon EU law to enforce the protection because for some reason the UK government has never completed the process writing the protection into UK law.
It was my fear that, post Brexit, the Shetland Lamb brand might be undermined by “fake-farm” labelling which the PDO currently prevents.  This prompted me to attend my MP’s surgery and ask him to seek clarification. On the 6th November 2016, Andrea Leadsom MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs wrote to my MP Alistair Carmichael,
“Alongside the work that is being done to determine the most appropriate long-term way of protecting UK Graphical Indications once the UK has left the EU, Defra will also be taking forward the work it was previously doing in relation to the PFN Statutory Instrument with a view to those Regulations before the UK leaves the EU”.
 
This was reassuring until I heard her Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice MP advocating replacing GI protection with a “simpler” and “cheaper” alternative, using Trademarks. I believe that this change of policy might be driven by the zealots in the leave campaign who find the very existence of PDO and PGI designations together with their EU inspired logos offensive. Also, I find it worrying that The PFN team at Defra was re-staffed in 2017. This means the personnel given the task of “determining the most appropriate long-term way of protecting UK GIs” have no experience of how the status quo has been arrived at. Up until last year, the previous team had been shepherding applications of new products for several years and the leader had been in post during the whole of the life of the EU scheme.
 
Geographical Indications versus Trade Marks

• GIs are community assets with a social capital value. Trade Marks are corporate assets that can be traded.
• GIs are granted to products that meet internationally agreed criteria based on quality, tradition and terroir. Trade Marks can be purchased for any product using criteria chosen by the producer.
• The cost of GI applications, administration and enforcement is paid by Government. The cost of Trade Mark applications, administration and enforcement is paid by the body that owns them.
• International recognition of GIs is granted by trade agreements between countries. International recognition of Trade Marks must be purchased by the owner in each individual country.
• The GI protection is available to all producers who meet the production criterion set out in the regulation granting protection. It is not clear if using the same criteria would grant the same protection from a purchased Trade Mark.
• It is unclear if abandoning GI protection regulations without them ever being written into UK law and then leaving producers to make their own arrangements using Trade Marks will set aside existing legal precedence that protects producers.

 
Where GI protection is available, Trade Mark protection is complementary not an alternative. Stilton Cheese had been protected by trademark for many years prior the UK joining the EU but the producers of Stilton made use of PDO protection as soon as it was introduced.
 
Trade Marks are defined by the owners. In the case of Cornish Pasties PDO and Melton Mobray Pork Pies PGI the market leading owners are Samworth Brothers Ltd (a public company).  In a Trade Mark only scenario, Samworth Brothers Ltd could use their corporate power to sideline the smaller producers, gain control of the Trade Mark definition and evolve the production in any way they choose.
 
Trade Negotiations
The application process for new additions for EU GI protection is in effect a trade negotiation with each of the 27 other EU states. Consequently, for example, at the EU Council of Ministers Cyprus says, “We will only support a UK position if the UK will support the grant of PDO status to our cheese in return”.
 
This will be an issue for post Brexit trade negotiators. I think it unlikely a post Brexit trade negotiation will treat GI protection for the complete list of products as one bargaining chip. Instead protection for each product will require a concession for the other side.
I may not be correct about this, but I understand that the UK did not seek protection for any of its GI products in the EU’s CETA trade negotiations with Canada and only listed 9 out of 70 in the EU’s TTIP negotiations with the USA.

Reminder of the protection granted by the GI regulations
The EU GI Regulations give protection in 7 areas,
• Imitation
• Evocation
• False or misleading indication as to the provenance
• Exploitation of the reputation
• Direct misuse of the name
• Indirect misuse of the name
• Any other practice liable to mislead the consumer!
 
For example; manufacturing Cornish Pasties in France could be challenged in court with or without horse meat as an ingredient. The regulations required Marks & Spence to stop using “Melton Mobray” as a fake-farm style brand for their pies.
 
The use of the GI (pictorial or letter) logos are the easiest to enforce. To help reassure consumers, the GI regulations were enhanced to require that the GI logo is prominently displayed next to the product name on packaging. Marks & Spence had to change its packaging for Jersey Royal Potatoes, which named the farmer, but without reference to the PDO. The original packaging, did not make it clear if the potatoes were genuine or if Marks & Spencer were just using fake-farm labelling.
 
 
Why are GIs important?
For the biggest sellers, GIs grant protection from brand grabs by multinationals. Even if the total production is purchased by a multinational, the production cannot be relocated or reformulated. You only have to look at the scale of the Kaft Heinz $143 billion bid to merge with Unilever to understand the value the big food corporations place on brands with Worldwide recognition.
For small producers growing their market, the Gi protection prevents the supermarkets commissioning their manufactures to produce an own brand version. The Dragons Den TV investors attach great importance to such exclusivity.
What happens if there is no reciprocal agreement relating to GIs?
Iceland does not have a GI agreement with the EU so when one of Iceland’s national foods, Skyr produced in Iceland, started to sell well across the EU there was nothing to prevent Arla foods from adopting the name for a German manufactured new product.
 
Criticisms of the GI protection Regulations.

• Most vocal are the Europhobes - To be expected.
• New products developed in a locality do not qualify to gain protection. – Cornish Yarg cheese
• Producers do not have the final say on the criteria written into the regulations.
• The application process is lengthy and too detailed. – Unsurprising, given the transnational agreement and legal scrutiny required. - The level of detail is what has allowed the regulations to withstand several robust legal challenges.
• They are a restriction on trade – A prominent case was the refusal to allow the sale of “Yorkshire” Feta Cheese because Feta is a Greek PDO product.
• Many pressure groups have their own and differing views of what criteria should be used to enable products to qualify for protection. – Campaigners have sought the abandonment of the protection for all products because they did not agree with one specification.

 
Ultimately, all we GI producers who don’t count our sales in millions of £s worth of exports have to hope that the government won’t abandon us.

Chef Fred Berkmiller’s culinary entente cordiale aka Scottish Budding Chefs are preparing to embark on their autumn trip to France. Judging by the pictures posted by @BuddingChefs on twitter, they have been trying out recipes for the Native Shetland Lamb that they will take with them.

This one is a bit pink for my taste but probably just how the like their lamb accross The Channel.

Next time I am in, he has organised a date and we are to be joined by food writer @edinburghfoody aka Danielle Ellis and Brendan MacNeill of MacNeill Photography to record the event. As a farmer who is not a butcher, my particular niche is to supply a whole lamb, either as a complete carcase or prepared by a butcher ready for home freezing. Chef Fred’s philosophy is to waste nothing and cook every part of the carcase. Maël, one Blanc’s chefs would cut up a whole lamb and then Fred would cook four dishes which between them would use every part.

It turned out not to be plain sailing. With plenty of notice I was able to organise my delivery schedule to finish the day’s lamb deliveries by lunch time. The first hic-up came when the batch of 38 lambs gathered to select the week’s orders unexpectedly only contained 7 ready to go. So we had to go out and gather another batch to make up the numbers. I should mention that I only send to the abattoir lambs that are pre-ordered, and I have to pre-book the abattoir as they are working at full capacity at this time of year. Then a force 9 gale in the North Sea stopped the ferries sailing for two days which meant that my lamb and I were still in Shetland on the day of The Great Native Shetland Lamb Cook Off. There’s nothing I can do about the weather so I assumed I had missed an opportunity.

Here is the second recipe from London based Oriental Culinary Arts Lectuer and Author, Reiko Hara.

Native Shetland Lamb Cutlets with Teriyaki Sauce
This mouth-watering Japanese sauce brings out the sweet undertone of Native Shetland lamb.
Ideal for family supper or entraining.

Preparation Time:15 minutes plus 1 hour for resting the meat.
Cooking Time: 30 minutes


Ingredients: Serves 4

                       - Salt
                       - Ground white pepper
              pinch - Potato starch
 4, 120 g each  - Shetland lamb, loin, cutlet or leg steak
                2tbs - Vegetable oil for frying

Teriyaki Sauce
             300ml - Chicken stock
                50g - Caster sugar
               50ml - Mirin 
               50ml - Japanese soy sauce
                2tbs - Rice vinegar
              ½ tsp - Freshly squeezed ginger juice (grate 10cm peeled ginger, squeeze  and use the juice)
            ½ tbsp - Corn starch dissolved with 1tbsp water

           Garnish - Mizuna or wild rocket leaves

To serve with
        4 portions - Steamed rice and Stir-fried pak-choy with ginger

Method:

1. Season the meat with salt, white pepper and potato starch. Cover with a cling film and  leave it to stand for 1 hour in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
3. Take the lamb out of the fridge 5 minutes before cooking.
4. Heat a frying pan and add vegetable oil and sear the lamb on both sides.
5. Transfer it to a baking tray and cook for 8-10mins in the oven or until pink inside.
6. Mix chicken stock, caster sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce in a pan and bring to the boil. Bring the heat down and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Burn the alcohol off  mirin, add to the above sauce mixture, and mix well.
8. Stir in the dissolved corn starch into the above and continue to stir until it thickens to the consistency of single cream.
9. Take the sauce off the heat and add ginger juice, and mix well. Keep it warm.
10. Take the lamb out of the oven and rest it for 3 minutes.
11. Place it on a serving plate and pour the sauce over it and garnish with mizuna leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice and stir-fried pak-choy.

Chef’s tip: the sauce can be made ahead and re-heated before use.

Last Thursday, I loaded up my fridge van and took the ferry South. My final destination was Edinburgh with the provisions for a Shetland producer’s Supper at Café St Honoré on Tues 15th October 2013

Back in April 2009 I was looking forward to a meal organised by Slow Food Edinburgh whose menu featured produce from Shetland. Maybe due to logistical problems or maybe due to insufficient bookings the event was cancelled at the last minute. Since then I have supplied my Native Shetland Lamb to a number of events but have always cherished the idea of a whole menu supplied by Shetland Producers.

In 2012 a new food producers group was formed in Shetland whose aim is to showcase the produce of small food businesses in Shetland. The group organised a very successful three day food fair in Lerwick last November and has been organising regular pop up markets were producers have been able to sell what is in season. By joining in with the food group I have been able to build a working relationship with the producers to whom I could turn to help me gather a selection of products to fill a complete menu.

I enquired of my friends who are members of The Edinburgh and District Shetland Association, if they would like to include such a meal in the calendar of events that they organise for their members. Once they said yes, I contacted Chef Niel Forbes of Café St Honoré. I had met Neil when he was guest chef to the 2011 Shetland Food Festival, and knew him to be familiar with that Shetland has to offer by way of ingredients.

First stop for provisions was Ann Johnson of Scoop, who stock fresh veg that is in season, milk products from Shetland Farm Dairys and Angus’ Shetland Honey from Frakkafield. Smoked Salmon came from Dave at Hand Made Fish Co and Cheese from Jay at Shetland Cheese.

To book call 0131 2262211 or email eat@cafesthonore.com

MENU

Zetland Cheese Choux Bun, Our Sourdough & Beremeal Bannock, Shetland Butter

★

Bigton Plumwood Smoked Salmon, Shetland Black Potato & Shallot Salad

★

Native Shetland Lamb, Lynn Polson’s Buttered Native Shetland Cabbage & Leek, Crushed Neeps, Confit Sharpes Express Potatoes

★ 

Angus Niccol Honey Iced Parfait, Beremeal Tuille

★

Selection of Shetland Cheese, Beremeal Bannock, Chutney
Soothe Moothe is a young cheese that I particularly like but gets overshadowed in a tasting by others with stronger flavour. - One Gold Star Award 2013 Great Taste Awards.

Zetland is a six month old cheese made by the cheddar method.



St. Ninians is a soft cheese, Jay's latest creation. This is from his first production batch - Bronze Medal winner in the new soft cheese section of 2013 British Cheese Awards

★

Artisan Roast Coffee or Clipper Organic Tea & “millionbere” Shortcake

Every course uses a product that is included in The Slow Food Ark of Taste, a worldwide register of traditional food products that are in danger of being lost. Their production is still in the hands of artisans using methods that are not suitable for industrialisation. Both Neil and I are supporters of The Slow Food UK and are actively involved with their Forgotten Foods Campaign to get Ark of Taste products back on the menu. For this event we have selected Native Shetland Lamb, Shetland Black Potatoes, Native Shetland Cabbage and Beremeal from the list. Although for sale in Scoop the Beremeal is produced in Shetland’s southern neighbour Orkney.

With all the first draw of this season's Native Shetland Lambs sold I am now taking orders for October delivery. October is peak season for Native Shetland Lamb. I am always pleased to hear recipie ideas from my customers and here is the first of two from London based Oriental Culinary Arts Lectuer and Author, Reiko Hara.

Stir-fried Native Shetland lamb with coriander and cumin
Inspired by a popular north eastern Chinese dish.

Preparation Time:15 minutes plus 30 minutes to marinade
Cooking Time:15 minutes

Ingredients: Serve 4

500g    Native Shetland lamb shoulder or loin, thinly sliced across the grain

marinade
1 tsp  Ground coriander
½ tsp  Ground cumin
½ tsp  Sea salt
¼ tsp  Ground white pepper
½ tsp  Ground coriander
3tbs    Vegetable oil
3tbs    Freshly squeezed lime juice
2tbs    Fish sauce
1tbs    Xiaoshing wine or Sake
1        Bunch spring onions, trimmed, cut into thin strips
1tsp   Sesame oil

garnish
1        Bunch fresh coriander, cleaned, leaves only
1tsp   Roasted white sesame seeds

accompaniment
4       Portions steamed rice

Method:

1.      Combine ground coriander, ground cumin, salt and ground white pepper in a large bowl. Add the                sliced lamb to it and mix well. Cover it with cling film and leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2.      Take it out of the fridge 5 minutes before cooking.

3.      Heat a wok or a frying pan over a high heat and pour in 2tbs of the vegetable oil.  Add the lamb and            stir-fry until it slightly browns. Transfer it to a plate and keep it warm.

4.      Heat the remaining oil in a clean wok, add spring onion and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until soft.

5.      Add the lamb, ground coriander, fish sauce, lime juice, and wine to the above, and mix well.

6.      Bring it back to the boil and continue to cook for further 3 minutes or until the lamb is just done.

7.       Take the wok off the heat and add the sesame oil and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning if                   required.

8.      To serve, place the lamb on a bed of coriander leaves on a serving plate, sprinkle sesame seeds                over it to garnish. Serve with steamed rice.

Chef’s tip: Take care not to overcook the lamb to keep the delicate flavour.

We have had a glorious spell of sunshine and been able to make some excellent quality hay with the minimum of tractor work. Mowed, spread on day 2, rowed up, baled and all stacked in the shed on day 6.
Now it is time to get the muck spreader going to help the grass regrow.