Bramley apple pie filling is given protected status

BRUSSELS The European Commission on Wednesday said it would register Britain’s “traditional Bramley apple pie filling” as a protected historical delicacy in the European Union.

Joining the likes of Stilton cheese, Melton Mowbray pork pies and Cornish pasties, Bramley apple pie filling – a mixture of apples, water and sugar – has been placed on the Traditional Specialities Guaranteed (TSG) list.

The law seeks to protect the reputation of regional products, promote traditional and agricultural activity and ensure inferior products can not be promoted unfairly.

The designation is seen as a bonus for ingredient producers as it is thought to place a premium on their product.

Its chief executive and chairman of the Bramley Campaign, Adrian Barlow, said he was “delighted” with the award.

“It protects the integrity of the product and means people aren’t going to be able to sell something that is substandard by using a blend or some other apple”.

The secret to the unrivalled excellence of the Bramley apple lies in its delicious tart flavour, high malic acid content and low sugar levels, which combine to produce a stronger, tangier, more superior taste when cooked. “The apple itself cooks to a moist, airy, fluffy texture, nearly cream-like”.

The Bramley apple dates from the 19th century and was first exhibited by London’s Royal Horticultural Society in 1876, the Commission said.

Bramley apples are grown commercially across Kent, East Anglia and the West Midlands, and the filling is used by companies such as Premier Foods in its Mr Kipling Bramley Apple Pies. “At the 1883 National Apple Congress, the Bramley was acclaimed as the best-suited variety for apple pies”.

Products can be recognised as TSG if they are made with traditional raw ingredients or traditional methods, according to EU regulation.