Joe Schneider lives and farms inside the EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) area for Stilton cheese, and uses only raw milk from his own dairy cows to produce 8000 cheeses a year. But because the PDO designation specifies that Stilton must be made from pasteurised milk, he has to sell his cheese under the made-up name of Stichelton.
Joe's contention is that traditional Stilton must have used unpasteurised milk, because the cheese has been around much longer than pasteurisation. His tiny production doesn't threaten the six PDO Stilton producers, who use blended milk to make a million cheeses a year.
Joe petitioned the Stilton Cheesemakers Association, which drew up the rules, without success. He then took his appeal to Defra, which also turned him down. But Joe isn't giving up. Now the UK Slow Food Movement, which defends traditional food production, has set up a 'Presidium' to support him and launched a petition to help get the PDO Protocol changed so that it recognizes traditional, raw milk stilton.
Joe says: 'I’m fully aware that it’s the large-scale producers who prop up the national economy, but I find it alarming that politicians are only concerned about protecting the interests of big business without a thought for small producers. The PDO belongs to the people of Britain and of Europe, not to the big corporations.’
Sign the petition here, and read more about Sustain's policies for food and farming here.
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
