EN Official Journal of the European Union C 417/13

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2014/C 417/10

This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (2)

‘TRADITIONAL AYRSHIRE DUNLOP’

EC No: UK-PGI-0005-0889-30.8.2011

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name

‘Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop’

2. Member State or Third Country

United Kingdom.

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1. Type of product

Class 1.3: Cheeses

3.2. Description of product to which the name in (1) applies

Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop is a hard cheese made from the raw or pasteurised whole milk of cows from the Ayrshire breed. It is a natural pale yellow in colour. When cut it has a smooth close surface which feels moist to the touch. It is cylindrical in shape and has a hard thin golden rind with a very slight mottling.

In its early stages Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop has a very mild nutty flavour and smooth close texture. As it ages, subtle, nutty, creamy flavours develop and the texture becomes smooth and slightly springy. The shorter the period of maturation the milder the cheese – as the cheese ages stronger flavours develop.

The minimum maturing period for the cheese is 6 months. The youngest cheese would be 6 months and the oldest 18 months but the most popular age is between 10 and 12 months.

The cheeses are classified as:

— mild (6-10 months)

— mature (10-12 months)

— extra mature (12-18 months).

The more mature cheeses will have a drier texture as with time they will have lost some moisture.

The average moisture content of the cheese ranges from 39 %–44 %. The milk butterfat content can range from 3,9 % to 4,4 %. The smaller fat globules of the Ayrshire cow’s milk allow an ease of incorporation of moisture into the curd.

Traditionally the cheese is produced in 3 sizes: a 3,5 inch diameter by 3 inch deep weighing 350 g; a 7 inch diameter by 4,5 inch deep cheese weighing approximately 3 kg; or a 13-15 inch diameter by 9 inch deep cheese weighing approximately 20 kg. However, other sizes can be produced to meet customer requirements.

Characteristics of cheese:

— Consistency: Body moderately firm

— Colour: Natural pale yellow

— Aroma: clean, no taints or odour

— Flavour: mild nutty, as it ages more nutty, creamy flavours develop.

— Appearance: milky white slightly open

— Texture: smooth close texture, slightly springy when young. Smooth as it ages.

Physio-chemical properties:

— pH: 5,2 – 5,4

— Dry matter: 31,3 %

— Fat in dry matter: 52,1 %

— Sodium chloride: 1,6 – 1,8 %

— Microbiological limits:

— enterobacteriaceae 10-100 — e.coli < 10 — yeasts 100-1 000 — moulds 100-1 000 — staph. Aureus 20-100 — list. monocy. Absent — salmonella Absent

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only)

Raw or pasteurised whole milk of cows from the Ayrshire breed.

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only)

The cows are grazed on the land through the summer months (usually May to September) with supplementary feeding at milking time when necessary. When housed in the winter months the cows will be fed a combination of preserved grass (hay, haylage or silage) along with any necessary compound cattle feed.

3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All stages of preparation and production of Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop must take place in the area including:

— Pasteurisation of milk (where pasteurised milk is being used for cheese production)

— Heating and cooling of milk

— Preparation and stirring of ingredients

— Addition of Salt

— Maturation of Cheese

3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.

—

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling

—

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The cheese is produced in an area around the traditional parish of Dunlop. The geographical area boundaries are:

West boundary — From Neilston the A736 to Lugton, then the B777 to Beith. From Beith the A737 road to Dalry

South boundary — From Dalry the B707 to the junction with the A736, south on the A736 for a short section then east on the B778 to Stewarton

East boundary — The B769 from Stewarton to the junction with Glanderston Road North

North boundary — West along Glanderston Road to the junction with Springhill Road. South for a short section along Springfield Road to the junction with Kirkton Road, then west along Kirkton Road to Kingston Road at Neilston. North along Kingston Road to Main Street then south on Main Street to the junction with Holehouse Brae. Along Holehouse Brae to where it meets the A736.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

The recipe for making Dunlop cheese is attributed to Barbara Gilmour, a local woman who was exiled to Ireland for religious reasons around 1660, where she learnt the art of making cheese from whole milk. She returned to Dunlop following the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688 and married John Dunlop, a local farmer. It is thought that through a combination of mixing Irish and Scottish cheese making methods she started making her own cheese and began to teach the techniques to other local farmers. The cheese made using Barbara Gilmour’s recipe and techniques and milk from the Ayrshire cows produced within the geographical area soon gained popularity and became known by the name of Dunlop.

Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop cheese is made using whole milk from Ayrshire cows along with the traditional recipe, techniques and craftsmanship handed down from Barbara Gilmour’s time. The geographical area has traditionally been used for dairy farming for many centuries due to the combination of a mild wet climate, and heavy clay and loam soils which produces rich, lush, green grass and natural vegetation with clovers which provide favourable grazing pastures for Ayrshire cattle. In addition, the wet climate of the region provides a damp atmosphere that allows the cheese to be matured while retaining moisture which contributes to the smooth, slightly springy surface and creamy nutty flavour of the cheese.

The geographical nature of this part of Scotland, with high rainfall and relatively mild weather due to the influence of the Atlantic Gulf Stream, means that the area is suited for grazing cattle and milk production. However, the variability of the weather conditions changes the composition of the milk throughout the year. These subtle changes affect the cheese making process and it is down to the skill of the cheese maker to understand and react to these changes in order to produce a consistent quality cheese. A combination of the skills and knowledge developed by Barbara Gilmour and passed down through succeeding generations, along with an understanding of the local conditions enable the cheese maker to produce a Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop cheese.

5.2. Specificity of the product

Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop differs from other Dunlop cheeses due to the traditional production method, the rich creamy milk from Ayrshire breed of cows and the moist climate of the geographical area. Its characteristic natural pale yellow in colour is attributable to the milk from Ayrshire cows which contains smaller fat globules and results in producing a cheese with a rounder depth of flavour and a smooth close surface which feels moist to the touch.

The cheese is based on the revival of an old original recipe using traditional methods Successful production of the cheese is dependent on the skill and judgement of the cheese maker. Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop cheese is made in open vats, the curd is cut and gently stirred by hand until the curds ‘heal’ to the required consistency. While stirring and cooking to the required temperature the acidity is monitored using an acidity meter. The cheesemakers skill and judgement will decide when to cease stirring once the curds achieve the required consistency. If the curds are too firm the cheese will be dry and if too soft they will produce a wet cheese.

Once the required texture is achieved, the whey is drained. The remaining curds should have a shiny appearance. The curd is pushed to either side of the vat to drain further and allow development of acidity and texture. This is often known as a ‘chicken breast’ consistency – the surface of the curd is smooth and when broken open it has a moist fibrous texture. The cheesemaker has to use their judgement to determine when the correct acidity is reached (usually around 0,55 % titratable acidity) at which point the curds are put through a peg mill. This breaks up the curds and salt is then added and mixed evenly throughout the curd. The curds are then put into moulds and pressed overnight.

After pressing overnight the cheeses are scalded in hot water – small cheeses by dipping in scalding water, large cheeses by pouring scalding water over them. They are then wrapped in cloth bandages that have also been immersed in scalding water. Scalding helps to produce an even rind on the cheese, while the bandages help to maintain the shape of the cheese, reduce the thickness of the rind and produces a cleaner appearance of the cheese when the cloth is removed after maturing. The cheeses are then put back into the moulds to enable the cloth to be pressed on. The following day the cheeses are taken out the moulds and left to dry off before being placed on wooden shelves in the cheese store. The cheeses are regularly monitoring and judging maturity and quality of the product are skills that have to be learnt and developed through experience.

The cheese is made in open vats and the curd is hand cut – these are the same methods that were being used 50 years ago. The cheese is cloth bandaged and matured on wooden shelves, resulting in a rind forming on the cheese that would not be present using more modern methods.

The skills and knowledge of the cheesemaker is essential to assess the product throughout the production process, taking into account the seasonal changes in the specification of the milk and the seasonal ambient air temperature and moisture content. With these skills, the cheese maker is able to ensure the desired moisture and acidity is achieved to produce finished cheeses that are consistent in terms of appearance, flavour and texture.

5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)

Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop was first developed around 1690 by Barbara Gilmour who brought the recipe back from Ireland where she had been temporarily exiled. She settled in the village of Dunlop where she made and taught the techniques of making the cheese which eventually became known as Dunlop.

The milk used in Barbara Gilmour’s original cheese came from her own Dunlop cows which produced a creamy milk derived from the local lush pastures arising from the favourable rainfall. The production of Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop Cheese was revived in the parish of Dunlop in 1989 using the original recipe, while taking into consideration of the requirements of modern hygiene regulations.

However, most of the traditional production techniques and making skills have been preserved including:

— the artisan ‘hand made’ method of production; the skills and knowledge of the cheese maker in determining the acidity and adding the correct quantities of salt,

— the scalding of the cheeses and use of cloth bandages to control the thickness of the rind and help maintain the shape,

— the slow maturing process of the cheese and judgement required to identify the stage of maturation of each individual cheese.

The cheese has been a consistent winner of awards over the years and is particularly popular at farmers’ markets and specialist delicatessens and cheese shops. Awards gained include several 1st and 2nd awards at the Royal Highland Show between 1991 and 1996; the British Cheese Awards in 1999 (silver), 2001 (gold) and 2004 (bronze) and the Nantwich International Cheese show 1992 (1st) and 2005 (gold).

Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop has been sold by Clarks Specialty Foods near Edinburgh for over 20 years, and their Managing Director Alastair Clark has described the cheese as ‘a cheese that has a unique flavour and creamy texture that is unlike any other cheese that bears the Dunlop name that is made outside of Ayrshire.’

Malcolm Webster who is executive chef at The Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh states that Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop ‘is a very consistent cheese which I’ve been using for my seven years in Scotland, it has a unique flavour and texture which no other Dunlop cheese matches and I would highly recommend this cheese to anyone.’

The application for registration of ‘Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop’ as a Protected Geographical Indication is based upon the fact that the geographical area is traditionally regarded as the place where Dunlop cheese was first developed and from where it takes its name.

In addition, although cheeses made in other parts of Scotland are given the name ‘Dunlop’, it is the milk from the Ayrshire breed of cows, that originate from the area and are therefore adapted to the particular climatic and geographical conditions of the region, that helps to produce an artisan cheese that has a reputation as a distinctive high quality cheese.

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (3))

https://whitehall-admin.production.alphagov.co.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/289149/traditional-ayrshire-dunlop-pgi-140312.pdf

(1) OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(3) See footnote 2.