Rupert Matthews, Conservative Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands, visited Melton Mowbray this week to champion local food products and to talk to food producers and sellers about their protected status.
During the day he visited the Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe where bakers have been making the famous pork pie since 1851. He also visited the Melton Cheeseboard stall at the Melton Mowbray Cattle Market where he spoke to shop owner, Tim Brown.
The visit is one of a number that Rupert is doing around the East Midlands region to promote local food products. Last month he visited the Lincoln Sausage Festival to learn about Lincolnshire Sausages. In Melton, both Pork Pies and Stilton are given legal protection under European law under the protected food name scheme. Rupert wants to see these protections continue after the UK leaves the European Union in 2019.
Following his visit Rupert commented:
“It was wonderful to visit Melton to sample the fantastic local food. One of the things I want to do as MEP is to champion local food products in the East Midlands. The Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe in Melton sells some great food especially the world-famous pork pies. I would encourage everyone in the area to pay a visit as well as to the brilliant Melton Cheeseboard which has close links to the Long Clawson dairy.
“Both Pork Pies and Stilton are protected under EU law so that their authenticity and origin are guaranteed. I want to ensure that these protections continue following our departure from the European Union, so that food manufacturers and sellers in Melton are reassured of their status.”