A move to grant protected status to single malt whisky distilled in England has caused concern in the Scotch industry and across the political spectrum.
The SNP has called on the UK Government to reverse the decision by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to give English whisky, or whiskey, the same level of legal protection as Scotch Whisky.
Under current rules, single malt scotch whisky must be mashed, fermented, and distilled at a single distillery in Scotland, but for English whisky, some steps can take place outside the primary distillery.
The Scotch Whisky Association has warned that the English rules are “entirely inconsistent with the reputation of single malt whisky”.
The English Whisky Guild submitted its application for the recognition over six years ago and regards the long-awaited approval a “landmark achievement” for “the quality and innovation across our growing industry.”
SNP MSP for Moray, Laura Mitchell, said: “The Labour government must now do the right thing, listen to the Scotch Whisky industry, and scrap this disastrous proposal.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain secured an urgent question in the House of Commons, forcing the UK Government to answer concerns.
The North East Fife MP, who is chair of the APPG for Scotch Whisky, made it clear that she supports Geographical Indication status for English whisky, but raised concerns that the new definition weakens the established meaning of “single malt”.
She says this risks disadvantaging Scotch producers who have invested to meet traditional production standards.
During the Urgent Question, she also criticised the timing of the announcement, which was made at 5pm on Friday before recess, leaving limited opportunity for parliamentary scrutiny ahead of the 8 October appeal deadline.
Speaking after the Urgent Question, Ms Chamberlain MP said: “The Government must explain why it has approved a definition that risks undermining that reputation and creating an uneven playing field for producers.
“This is not about opposing English whisky. The issue is protecting the integrity and reputation of single malt whisky, a category that consumers around the world understand to mean a whisky produced entirely at one distillery.”
#Politicians #join #call #rethink #English #whisky #Daily #Business