New Forest Pannage Ham has been awarded the UK Geographical Indication status, with the product now carrying the same protection as Melton Mowbray Pork Pies and Welsh Leeks.
The product has been registered under the post-Brexit UKGI scheme, which means it now holds full protection and recognition in Britain as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).
This means consumers can be confident that the product they are buying is genuine and the efforts of New Forest farmers, commoners and producers are protected from imitation products.
New Forest Pannage Ham PGI is an air-dried ham made specifically with pork from pigs released into the New Forest during the ‘Pannage Season’.
The pigs eat large quantities of acorns and nuts during this time, resulting in a buttery nutty flavour to the meat, which is darker in colour than pork from pigs that have not been fed on acorns.
Air drying preserves and accentuates the flavour profile of the pannage pork, while salting preserves the meat, which has been carried out in the area for centuries.
Defra Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “New Forest Pannage Ham now carries the same protection as Melton Mowbray Pork Pies and Welsh Leeks.
"Our traditional foods help to form the backdrop of British life, and with a 1,000-year heritage New Forest Pannage Ham is a part of our national food story.
“I look forward to sampling some New Forest Pannage Ham myself and celebrating this wonderful product with a unique history.”
In 2021, Welsh Gower Salt Marsh Lamb became the first product to receive protected status under the scheme.
