Geographical indications

Promoting and protecting local real EU geographical indications in a growing micro- sector

The consumption of locally-produced is increasing in many countries. Much of the recent interest has been associated with produced by small independent reacting to a demand for a broader variety – which includes in many cases a return to more traditionally produced and tasting beers. In the UK, the (CAMRA) has been successfully active since the early 1970s and now there is a growing micro-brewing sector – so could an EU directive regarding geographical indications be a useful tool to promote local real ale?

by Maricruz Rodriguez Herrera and Frank Vriesekoop

The geographical indications Geographical indications are collec- European Union Quality Schemes labels. Source: EC, 2014a. tive intellectual property rights least one stage of production, pro- tected products. Furthermore, these which identify a product as originat- cessing or preparation takes place. schemes are considered to poten- ing from a specific geographical • TSG highlights traditional charac- tially benefit rural development, region. Therefore, the quality and/or ter; it safeguards traditional serving as a promotional tool, pro- reputation of these goods is signifi- methods of production and viding support for regional food cantly attributable to their geo- recipes. producers and enhancing the reputa- graphic origin and their names refer tion of the region. to their region of production. The principal aim of these schemes Since 1992, the EU has pro- is to differentiate products of high Situation and examples in tected high-quality agricultural quality linked to their origin, ensur- the United Kingdom products and foodstuffs based on ing the product authenticity and The UK, as a valuable member of their geographical origin; this has communicating this to consumers; the EU, has protected many agricul- been done using special quality as well to protect product names tural products and food stuffs schemes under the Regulation (EU) from misuse and imitation. (including beers) under the EU No 1151/2012. This regulation EU quality schemes can also quality schemes. The Department establishes three different schemes: serve as a marketing tool, adding for Environment, Food & Rural Protected Designation of Origin economic value and providing a Affairs (DEFRA) is the competent (PDO), Protected Geographical regional and cultural identity to pro- national authority handling the Indication (PGI) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG). Each one has their own characteristics 300 and a specific label which allows 264 the identification of products pro- 250 tected under these status. 216 According to the (EU) No 200 1151/2012, these schemes have the 178 following characteristics: 150 • PDO identifies products which has 125 been produced, processed and pre- 101 pared within a specific geographi- 100 78 cal area; its quality or 57 characteristics are essentially or 50 35 33 exclusively due to the geographi- 20 cal environment using a recog- 0 nized human know-how. Italy France Spain Portugal Greece Germany United Poland Czech Slovenia • PGI denotes products linked to a Kingdom Republic specific geographical area by its quality or reputation, in which at Top ten countries with products registered under EU quality schemes. Adapted from EC, 2014b.

Brewer & Distiller International • March 2015 • www.ibd.org.uk 23 Geographical indications

It should be noted that most of the Shropshire breweries started their production after 2005 and two Finland of them started their activities just 1 TSG beer in 2013. Due to their recent founda- tion, all surveyed brewing business United Kingdom has been managed just by a single 3 PGI beers generation, which shows a limited history among current Shropshire breweries. The brew length for most of the breweries was from 1 to 30hL. According to the HM Revenue & Customs, most of these Germany 9 PGI beers breweries are classified as ‘micro’ and ‘local’ breweries. The market- ing of these companies remain mostly local and regional, with a Belgium distribution radius ranging from 22 5 TSG beers Czech Republic to 50 miles. The West Midlands 9 PGI beers region and surroundings were the main areas of distribution. This group of brewers share certain similarities in the brewing process and all apply the practice of cask conditioning. The production of ‘real ale’ beer is characterised by using cask conditioning, where the secondary fermentation takes place Location of beers with PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) and TSG in cask, which gives rise to the main (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed) label in Europe. tasting notes and some degree of applications for the registration of The current UK protected beers natural carbonation is developed PDO, PGI and STG. under the PGI scheme are ‘Kentish during this step. The cask not only Currently the UK has 57 regis- Ale’, ‘Kentish ’ and serves as a container for the condi- tered products under these protec- ‘Rutland ’. The official regis- tioning, it is also the main packag- tion labels and ten more tration of these PGIs was obtained ing used by the brewers to sell and applications awaiting DEFRA in 1996. These three protected beers distribute the beer into the pub approval. The UK is number seven account for two PGIs ‘Kentish’ and trade. Despite similarities in produc- in the top ten countries in the EU ‘Rutland’, since the first one is tion methods, it is very interesting with registered products. applied for two beers ‘Ale’ and to see the diversity of the product The 57 products protected under ‘Strong Ale’. The protection under range. Altogether the surveyed the EU quality schemes are divided the EU scheme is not indefinite. breweries reported 14 different into 32 PGI, 23 PDO, and 2 TSG. Throughout Europe, five beers had styles of real ale beer among their The main products are 15 cheeses; their special protected geographical collective product ranges. However, 13 fresh meat; nine sea products; six indications removed. These were the most important styles identified cider and perry; and three beers. always voluntary, but the main as the companies’ flagship beers British food producers have shown reason for this voluntary removal of were Blonde/Golden Ale, Bitter, IPA an increasing interest in protecting protected geographical indication and . their products by taking advantage has been because the owners of the of these quality labels. Just in the brand no longer wished to protect The importance of the last four years, 18 applications were the brand name for marketing origin of raw materials received by DEFRA, 10 of which reasons, or the relocation of the One of the main objectives of our have already obtained the register in brewing site for the protected beers. research was to obtain an insight the EU commission. For instance: ‘Newcastle Brown into the origin of raw materials used Ale’ (UK) and ‘Gögginger Bier’ by the Shropshire brewers. The pre- Beers protected under (Germany) were voluntarily dereg- dominant barley variety used is The European Union istered because the actual produc- Maris Otter, produced in East Protected Food Name tion processes moved out of the Anglia and in the West Midlands scheme original geographical area. region. The majority of the brewers Beer is a typical and traditional knew the origin of their barley but product in some EU countries; Real ale and the potential they do not consider it an overarch- therefore it has also been protected for a PGI beer from ing ‘important’ fact. under the EU quality schemes. Shropshire In the case of hops, the situation Nowadays there are 27 protected The county of Shropshire hosts 21 is different, All the brewers knew beers in the EU under PGI and TSG real ale breweries ranking number the origin of their hops and this was schemes; Germany and Czech three in the West Midlands region. a ‘very important’ fact to them. Republic have nine PGI beers each; We surveyed half of these breweries Almost all Shropshire brewers indi- Belgium has five TSG beers, the to obtain an insight into the possi- cated that a ‘hops-driven flavour’ United Kingdom three PGI beers bility to create a PGI for a beer pro- was denoted as quite important to and Finland has one TSG beer. duced in Shropshire. characterise and promote their prod-

24 Brewer & Distiller International • March 2015 • www.ibd.org.uk Geographical indications

ucts. All the brewers reported a total of 35 different varieties of hops used in their production, with each brewer using between four to ten different varieties. There were four Oswestry main hops varieties reported: Cascade, Fuggle, Goldings and Challenger. Due to the diversity of hops used, their provenance is too Shrewsbury diverse for any potential PGI appli- Telford cation. However the majority of the brewers use hops grown in the UK and especially from the West Midlands region. Hops from the Bridgnorth USA, Germany, and Czech Republic were also mentioned as countries of origin, but were applied in fewer quantities. Ludlow Most of the brewers used an externally supplied ale pure culture, with just a small number of them using of ‘mixed cultures’ or Location of the breweries in Shropshire . The red colour is to indicate the surveyed brewers in the research. their ‘own concoction’. The yeast used is generally commercially investigations and audits must be mostly characterised by the type of available but some brewers obtain carried out. However, everything hops used. A positive aspect is that their yeast from other brewers. begins with something and our the main varieties of hops used are Most of the Shropshire brewers enquiries among the brewers from English varieties (Fuggle, Goldings obtain their brewing water from the Shropshire allowed us to discover and Challenger), grown and local water authority (Severn Trent many important facts which in the processed in the West Midlands Water); however, a small proportion future could lead to the creation of a region. The brewers showed a good of them make use of surface water Geographical Indication. interest and knowledge in the use of or bore water. All the brewers Firstly, most of the surveyed local hops varieties and some of admitted to some sort of water treat- brewers had a positive opinion them are members of ‘England´s ment, including filtration and the about claiming for a PGI, they men- Hopshires’, a recently founded asso- addition of minerals which is a tioned it as a something helpful or ciation which promotes the use of common practice used by brewers important and some said that the hops produced in the West in order to have the adequate PGI could be: “helpful as a market- Midlands. mineral profile in the water to ing strategy” or “important to Brewers are taking advantage of produce a specific . enhance the real ale production and consumers’ increasing interest in Surprisingly, a significant number the reputation of the region”, others local products by promoting the of the brewers said that the water said that is “important because origin of their beers and the ingredi- used in the process is important to people like local products and with ents that are used in their produc- differentiate their beers from others. a PGI people can be assured that the tion. However, it does not appear to Some breweries using borehole local brewers are proud of their be a primary concern to pursue a water considered the water source to regional identity”. Furthermore, specific protected geographical be very important and on their flag- they indicated an interest in protect- status for a collaborative regional ship beers it is indicated as ‘Brewed ing one of their own beers as indi- beer style associated within an with pure mineral water’ but this is viduals, or possibly protecting a emerging microbrewing market. not a common practice among the ‘Shropshire beer’ as a group of pro- While there are exceptions to the Shropshire breweries. Concerning ducers. rule: a protected geographical status the ‘flagship beer’ (the beer that Many of the Shropshire brewers for beers seem to be pursued by best represents the individually share similar objectives – like the individual brewers rather than a col- ), it is significant to note interest in offering good beers to lective. Maybe organisations such that most of the Shropshire brewers their clients but at the same time, to as CAMRA and the UK’s Society of give a high importance to communi- maintain the local scheme of pro- Independent Brewers (SIBA) are cating the origin of their beers with duction and distribution, something already creating enough public the motif: “Made in…”. which is very important for them. interest for micro-brewed beers. n They are interested in offering their The relevance of products in relatively close proxim- n The authors developing a PGI real ity to the brewery and being Maricruz Rodriguez Herrera undertook ale beer produced in acknowledged by the local people her research into “The potential interest Shropshire as being part of the town’s furniture. of developing a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for a ‘Real Ale’ produced Developing a Geographical Some of them complemented their in the British West Midlands region” as Indication is a protracted but neces- comments – saying: “We’re anti part of her Masters in Food Identity at sary process and it can take some beer miles”. Groupe ESA, Angers in France and at years before the application can be Furthermore, many Shropshire Harper Adams University in the UK. Frank Vriesekoop is a faculty member at processed by DEFRA and the EU brewers consider the origin of hops Harper Adams University in Shropshire commission. It is necessary to meet as a very important factor in their and has a long-standing research inter- certain requirements and some production and their beers are est in all areas of brewing and distilling.

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