I nipped to the East Midlands Food Festival at the weekend, one of the largest in the country. It was a great day, loads of producers from all sections of the community, and plenty to see and do for all the family
You can watch my report from the festival below.
Another reason to celebrate at the festival was the fact the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie took what its fans hope is the penultimate step towards full PGI status. PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) and PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) are bestowed by the European Parliament on products to protect their production methods and regional heritage, with Champagne being the most famous.
The UK comes in way behind France, Italy and even Germany in protecting its food heritage, but some other products that have protection are Stilton, Cornish clotted cream, and Jersey royal potatoes. You can find out more about UK PDOs here.
It's been a lot of hard work for the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association (MMPPA), which has been campaigning for over 10 years to get this. With the pork pie practically fully protected, there are plans afoot to protect other foods from the region, including the fabulous Birmingham Balti!
Watch my interview with some members of the MMPPA.
Finally I'd like to hear your thoughts. What other products do you think are uniquely British? Add your thoughts to the comment box below.
4Food is on a quest to find the best British grub. If you know a great food place near you, add it to the Map.
Read Andrew's day by day accounts of life on the road
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