The Gloucestershire Old Spot Pig Breeders’ Club in association with the Welsh Pig Breed are pleased to announce the relaunch of their Traditionally Farmed Gloucestershire Old Spots Pork and Traditionally Reared Pedigree Welsh Pork at this year’s Royal Welsh Show at Bulith Wells on 26th July 2023.

The Gloucestershire Old Spots breed of pig was awarded Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) status on 18th June 2010. Traditionally Reared Pedigree Welsh Pork was awarded TSG status in 2017; both for their traditional production methods which clearly marks their produce as distinct from its counterpart meats.

Following Brexit, EU TSG accreditations passed into UK law at midnight on 31st December 2020 and are now UK Protected Food Names under UK law. The TSG award demonstrates the product’s unique traditional eating qualities irrespective of where the pigs in question are produced. To achieve TSG status, both the GOSPBC and Welsh Pig Society worked closely with Bristol University who performed several scientific tests to demonstrate its unique qualities. The two breeds are unique in attaining this accreditation and clearly demonstrate the way the pigs are farmed does impact on eating enjoyment and thus there are strict restrictions on the use of the logo and the use of the breeds’ name to describe the meat.

The upheaval of Brexit meant the accreditation languished for some time until the GOSPBC and British Pig Association Welsh Breed Representative Corrina Taylor came together to design a new system for awarding the status to GOS and Welsh Pig breeders/producers. The process has been simplified whilst retaining the requirements of the original TSG accreditation in hope this will make it more appealing to breeders and producers to apply for it. This involves a questionnaire about their herd, husbandry and production system followed up with an independent veterinary inspection which must meet the standards of traceability and welfare specified in the approval process. Following approval, a certificate will be issued and be valid for three years. Full details will be available on the website www.gospbc.co.uk/TSG for GOS and Welsh Pig Breeder should contact Corrina Taylor in the first instance through the British Pig Association.

End of press release.

Mandy Garbutt Secretary GOSPBC email mail@gospbc.co.uk

Corrina Taylor BPA Welsh Breed Representative hideawayfarmmeats@yahoo.co.uk