Welcome to the official website of the Lincolnshire Sausage Association Limited
The Lincolnshire Sausage Association cannot understand the reasoning behind Defra's decision, especially when the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, the Newmarket Sausage and the Cornish Pasty have all been accepted. None of the reasons behind their rejection appear to be valid.
The Lincolnshire Sausage Association will be holding an Open Meeting early in the New Year for members and interested parties to decide on our next course of action. Details will be published on this website.
In the meantime, the LSA thank all of our supporters for their continued interest and support.
Given this new information and the fact that there are new ministers in Defra this appears to be an opportune time to lobby them to reverse their decision not to award protection for the Lincolnshire Sausage and for local politicians MP's MEP, Councilors and others to get involved.
Lincolnshire Sausage Association Ltd
c/o RJ & AE Godfrey
Wootton Road,
Elsham Top
Brigg
North Lincolnshire
DN20 0NU
All donations gratefully received.
The appeal is based on new evidence, inconsistency with precedents, insufficient consideration of the LSA's evidence, the LSA's view that Defra has been insufficiently critical of the objectors' evidence, there has been disproportionate weighting given to the objectors' evidence and improper process.
Please show your support by signing our Petiton at www.change.org
A new survey is being conducted on the public's perception of where the Lincolnshire sausage should be made, one of the aspects of the application that Defra queried.
MEPs and MPs across the county have been up in arms and writing to Defra to question their decision and support the Lincolnshire Sausage. The local media are also running campaigns to support the Association in its quest.
Lincolnshire Sausage makers are raising funds for further legal fees, but if anyone wishes to support the cause, cheques may be made to the 'Lincolnshire Sausage Association' and sent to our office c/o RJ & AE Godfrey, Wootton Road, Elsham Top, Brigg, North Lincolnshire DN20 0NU
If you feel moved to act in our support, then please write to Jim Paice at Defra and tell him what you think!
The LSA has spent a considerable amount of time and effort into making sure the application complied with the requirements of the articles and feel that insufficient account has been taken of all the evidence provided. Too much emphasis has been placed on the recipe rather than the method of production. In particular, no account seemed to have been taken of the coarseness of the mincing process which gives the true Lincolnshire sausage its bite and too much has been made of the 'predominance of sage'.
It appears that Defra has capitulated to large scale commercial producers, some of whom openly admit to putting no meat into their product. What a pity, at a time when Jim Paice is leading a delegation to China to promote our pork products to them, that he could not support one of Britain's most iconic products, namely the Lincolnshire Sausage.
The LSA does not believe that Defra has taken sufficient account of the strong support of the Lincolnshire people. Too much credence has been placed on the objectors' claims, many of which were accredited to unnamed producers who had not objected to our application. Defra has failed to recognise the damage that so-called 'Lincolnshire Sausage' made by large manufacturers outside of the count is doing to the reputation of the genuine article.
Support for this application from Defra would have helped to boost well over 150 small to medium enterprises in Lincolnshire - not just butchers but tourism in the county.
We are sad and disappointed with this response and will be taking legal advice as to our next steps. We have only 10 working days to respond so we must act quickly.
Now in its ninth year, the Lincolnshire Sausage Festival is a firm favourite on the events calendar and celebrates a most famous county export – the Lincolnshire Sausage, with award winning food stalls and free entertainment for all the family.
For more information click here
James Paice MP
House of Commons,
Westminster,
London SW1A 0AA.
Alternatively, you could e-mail him at: paicejet@parliament.uk
Once again we thank you for your support.
The correct answer (based on 60cm sausages) was 10,060. Lucy was only 50 out at 10,010.
Grasmere Farms will be contacting you to arrange delivery of your prize of £50 worth of Lincolnshire Sausages.
The crowds turned out in force at this year's Lincoln Sausage Festival and enjoyed the best sunshine and sausages that Lincolnshire can offer.
The Lincolnshire Sausage Association challenged members of the public to estimate the number of sausages that would be required to circle the Castle's Battlements and they bravely took up the task. Some carefully calculated what they thought the number might be and others just took wild guesses! The winner of the competition will be the nearest one to the correct number and will recieve £50 worth of Grasmere Farm's sausages. We will be announcing the result shortly so watch this space...............
We have also received support from Mark Simmonds MP for Boston and Skegness who said, "As a local MP and PPS to Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for DEFRA, I am delighted to be able to offer my support to this worthwhile campaign. Both myself and my children greatly enjoy Lincolnshire Sausages and we would not like to see them come under threat from inferior imitations".
We are delighted to welcome two new members to our committee - Ray Sellars, councillor for Nettleham & Saxilby Division and our very own Chop Idol, Jim Sutcliffe.
The application to protect the Lincolnshire Sausage, launched 6 years ago, has reached a critical stage in that Defra must now decide whether or not to forward the application to the European Commission. Only a handful of companies have objected to the application, mostly large scale food producers and a company which doesn't even use pork in its 'Lincolnshire Sausages'.
The Association has given two main reasons to protect the sausage;
Lincolnshire Sausage Association Ltd
c/o RJ & AE Godfrey
Wootton Road,
Elsham Top
Brigg
North Lincolnshire
DN20 0NU
8th November 2009 Our application for Protected Geographical Indication for Lincolnshire Sausages has made its way through the initial consultation process and has been submitted to DEFRA for the next stage in the procedure, which involves another National Consultation before the application can be presented to Europe.
8th November 2009
The Sunday Telegraph yesterday reported that Walls make Lincolnshire Sausages from German, Dutch, Danish and English pork.
For the full story: click here.
Petition Closes
8th November 2009
The petition to ask the Prime Minsiter to support our application for Protected Geographical Indication status for Lincolnshire Sausages has closed with 1,262 signatures.
The Petition stated:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to support Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for Lincolnshire Sausages
PGI status for Lincolnshire sausages would mean that they could only be manufactured in the historic county of Lincolnshire according to the specified criteria. This would support the numerous small producers that we have in the county and prevent inferior products from reaching the market.
Prospective Conservative MEP, George Lee, came out to support the Lincolnshire Sausage Campaign in Louth last week. The pictures shows him with Lincolnshire Sausage Association member, Jim Sutcliffe, and Janet Godfrey, Chairman of the Association outside Meridian Meats in Louth. Labour candidate and local MP, Gillian Merron help Neil Curtis to promote the campaign.
End of National Consultation
The period of National Consultation on Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for Lincolnshire Sausages ended on 20th April 2009. The Lincolnshire Sausage Association is aware that there have been several objections to the proposal but are awaiting official confirmation from the handling body, ADAS, as to exactly what these objections are. The Association will then be in a position to respond formally.
Tastes of Lincolnshire Support PGI for Lincolnshire Sausages
MPs and MEPs Rally to the Support of Lincolnshire Sausages
MPs and MEPs are rallying to the support of the Lincolnshire Sausage Association's application for Protected Geographical Indication for the Lincolnshire Sausage.
Ian Cawsey MP for Brigg and Goole is writing to Defra to support the application.
Quentin Davies MP for Grantham and Stamford has written to Jane Kennedy, Minister of State for Defra, in support of the PGI application
Edward Leigh MP for Gainsborough has written a letter of support to Jane Kennedy at Defra.
Shona McIsaac MP for Cleethorpes is to table a Parliamentary question on the issue and feature it in an article on her website.
Elliot Morley MP for Scunthorpe is to put a submission into Defra in support of the application.
Peter Tapsell MP for Louth and Horncastle is eager to "champion the cause of Lincolnshire sausages and protect them from any German onslaught".
Gillian Merron MP for Lincoln is a long time supporter of the Lincolnshire sausage and has lent her voice to the campaign to keep Lincolnshire sausages Lincolnshire since it began over two years ago.
She said, “Lincolnshire sausages are rightly known throughout the world. But this Lincolnshire speciality is under threat from cheap imitations. Obtaining European protection status will mean that Lincolnshire sausage will have the same protection as Champagne and Parma Ham. This should give a real boost to our local butchers, farmers and producers. I have been pleased to work with butchers in Lincoln over the years, to support the application for protected status, and I strongly back the final push for this campaign.”
Lord Taylor of Holbeach, Opposition Spokesperson for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and for Work and Pensions is supporting the aplication, but thinks that the pork should come from pigs that have been produced within Lincolnshire.
Chris Heaton-Harris MEP is a long time supporter of the Lincolnshire Sausage
Roger Helmer MEP will feature the story in his next newsletter.
Derek Clark MEP has also expressed his support.
Godfrey Bloom MEP has assured of his support as the only MEP to call his region Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire rather than the Humber
Linda McAven MEP and Richard Corbett MEP are 'delighted to support this application'. They have written to Food From Britain, the organisation responsible on behalf of DEFRA, recommending that they submit the application to the European Commission.
Glenis Willmott MEP strongly believes that our campaign is equally as worthy as that for Melton Mowbray Pork Pies.
Defra has put the application for Protected Geographical Indication out for national consultation until the 20th April 2009. If granted, Lincolnshire sausages will only be able to be made in Lincolnshire and to the specifications in the application i.e. coarse ground or minced pork, a minimum of 70% meat, packed in natural casings and flavoured with sage.
Anyone is welcome to respond to the consultation. Details can be found on Defra's website at www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/foodname and the summary application at: www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/foodname/pfn/products/documents/lincolnshire-sausage-pgi-application.pdf .
The Lincolnshire Sausage Association would like to encourage members of the public to register their support.
Copy of Summary Application for PGI Status
Give us your views: Lincolnshire Sausage Survey
Complete the form and send it to the following address:
company number 7125615
The Lincolnshire Sausage Association is proud to be a member of Select Lincolnshire