britain’s PFNs

Swaledale Cheese (PDO)

A cylindrical shaped full-fat hard cheese, creamy off-white in colour with a soft crumbly texture, handmade from cows’ milk in Swaledale in the county of North Yorkshire and with a clean zesty flavour and nutty finish. Coated with a greeny blue-greyish mould the cheese has been made in the area for centuries. The recipe has been handed down from generation to generation but is still only known by a select few. Hand-crumbled curds give the cheese its characteristic open, dry but succulent texture.

Swaledale Ewes’ Cheese (PDO)

A cylindrical shaped full-fat hard cheese, creamy-white in colour with a soft crumbly texture, handmade from ewes’ milk in Swaledale, North Yorkshire in accordance with a similar recipe to its cows’ milk cousin. The ewes’ milk ensures a slightly more ‘gamey’ flavour and a character of its own.

Teviotdale Cheese (PGI)

Not currently produced, Teviotdale was a cylindrical shaped, white coated full-fat hard cheese made from unpasteurised Jersey cows’ milk on the border of England and Scotland within a 90km radius of Peel Fell in the Cheviot Hills. Pale yellow in colour with a smooth, salty and tangy flavour, resulting from soaking the cheese in brine for 9 hours.

Traditional Farmfresh Turkey (TSG)

Welsh Beef (PGI)

The Welsh have maintained a reputation for producing high quality beef since the time of the Celts, the Romans and the Normans and the influence of the traditional hardy Welsh breeds (predominately the Welsh Black and Hereford) still dominate the Welsh herd. Welsh beef must be born and reared in Wales. Extensive farming means cattle generally feed on natural grassland affected by the wet and mild Welsh climate and interspersed with heathers and indigenous fragrant wild herbs. Cattle are slaughtered at under 42 months of age and must not have bred.

Welsh Lamb (PGI)

Welsh lamb is born and reared only in Wales, from predominately Welsh Mountain, Welsh Mules, Welsh Halfbreds, Beulah, Welsh Hill Speckled Face, Lleyn Sheep, Llanwennog, and Radnor breeds, each contributing to the particular characteristic of the meat. This, combined with abundant grazing on grass leys on which a huge variety of herbs and heathers flourish, delivers a meat typically with good colour and a sweet succulent flavour.

West Country Farmhouse Cheddar (PDO)

Single Gloucester (PDO)

A flat, disc shaped, hard cows’ milk cheese with a light creamy-yellow colour. Recently revived along with Gloucester cattle and limited to production from milk of this breed within Gloucestershire, Single Gloucester has a clean mild and creamy taste, akin to a young cheddar. A fine example of a PDO which has supported the preservation of a rare breed.

Staffordshire Cheese (PDO)

Made in accordance with a rediscovered Cistercian monastic recipe but a newcomer to the roll of Protected Food Names, Staffordshire is produced only from milk from cows kept on Staffordshire farms. Clothbound, it has a smooth, slightly crumbly texture varying from hard or semi-hard depending on the age of maturity, a pale cream colour and a creamy, fresh and lactic flavour.

Currently the UK’s only Traditional Speciality Guaranteed, turkeys so named, wherever they might be raised, must adhere to strict set of production methods. They must be grown to a minimum age of 18 weeks in open or protected barns and the maximum stocking density is 35kg per m2. From eight weeks of age turkeys must be housed in buildings which are both naturally lit and ventilated, and bedding must be deep-litter of freshly toppedup straw or softwood shavings.

Birds must be fed on a diet containing only vegetable protein from the age of six weeks and from 10 weeks of age 70% of the diet must consist of cereals. Unless prescribed by a vet on welfare grounds, antibiotics and growth promoters are not fed to Traditional Farmfresh Turkeys. Sold whole bodied or eviscerated, the resultant bird will have a full fat cover, firm meat and a strong or gamey flavour.

Cylindrical or block shaped firm cows’ milk cheese, creamy yellow in colour, made in Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. The cheese is epitomised by a nutty, full, rounded flavour with a hint of sharpness achieved through lengthy maturation. The milk used comes from the cheesemakers own herds and local farms in the designated area. The curds go through a unique process of ‘cheddaring’ where the pieces are turned and stacked by hand on top of each other. After pressing, the cheese is stored to mature for at least 9 months.

White Stilton (PDO)

A rich white cheese made in cylindrical form from full cream cow’s milk within the counties of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, like its blue-veined and slightly more famous sibling. A moist and open structure is achieved by allowing the moulded curds to drain unpressed. A brown crust forms naturally on the surface, safeguarding a mild and creamy flavour with a hint of sweet walnut.

Whitstable Oysters (PGI)

Once considered poor man’s food, oysters have been produced in the vicinity of Whitstable, Kent, since Roman times. Shellfish of the species Ostrea edulis (native) and Crassostrea gigas (cultivated) 3-5 years old are gathered from the oyster beds during the spring tides and deliver plump and succulent morsels of sea spray flavoured meat.

Worcestershire Cider (PGI)

With the concept of terroir as applicable to cider making as it is to wine production, traditionally made ciders from the county will possess their own unique characteristics. With plenty of varieties to mix and match, local cider-makers can craft fine products with varying levels of tannic dryness and sweet perfume…

Worcestershire Perry (PGI)

…likewise with perrys produced in Worcestershire, the use of local varieties flourishing in different climatic and geographic circumstances ensures a diversity of flavours, setting this PGI apart from its Gloucestershire and Herefordshire cousins.

Herefordshire

15. Buxton Blue Cheese (PDO)

14. Dovedale Cheese (PDO)

13. Beacon Fell Traditional Lancashire Cheese (PDO)

12. Swaledale Cheese (PDO)

11. Swaledale Ewes’ Cheese (PDO)

10. Isle of Man Manx Loaghtan Lamb (PDO)

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Teviotdale Cheese (PGI) *

3. Orkney Lamb (PDO)

2. Orkney

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