Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association
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The Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association is a group of pork pie manufacturers in the Melton Mowbray area of England, UK. The association was set up with the purported aim of helping to protect the Melton Mowbray pork pie recipe which it perceives as being unique to the Melton Mowbray area. Members include Chappells Fine Foods Ltd, makers of a traditional and age old award winning Forryan pork pie, and Samworth Brothers who make Dickinson and Morris pies.
Although the Samworth Brothers is by far the most dominant member of the group, members argue that the association provides protection for smaller producers of premium quality traditionally made Pork Pies such as Chappells Fine Foods Ltd.
In 1999 the association, a group of seven local manufacturers, applied to the E.U to have their products categorised as protected. Northern Foods, a large food corporation recently tried to prevent the EU Protected designation of origin controls over the usage of "Melton Mowbray" on the wrappings of its own pork pies. The MMPPA's Protected Geographical Indication Application is being made through DEFRA. The name Melton Mowbray would only be applied to pork pies made within a 1,800 sq miles (4,662 sq km) zone around the town and with only uncured pork-filled pies given the Melton Mowbray name. This move against the new requirements was dismissed by the High Court.
Northern Foods views the situation as unfair and state in press releases that the MMPPA's dominant member Samworth Brothers, has made cured and uncured pork pies in Leicester and that the designation area is shaped to include the Samworth factory there. According to Northern Foods, 99% of the pork pies made under the association banner are made by Samworth Brothers. [1]. Northern Foods is to take the matter to the European Court of Justice [2].
