25th June 2010

Know the names

We’ve all heard of Parma ham, parmesan cheese (also known as Parmigiano-Reggiano), Burgundy wine, Port and Douro Valley wines, but do we ever stop and think about where these products come from? While as a nation we are becoming increasingly conscious about food provenance when it comes to British food, our attention has not yet fully turned to the provenance of foods sourced from outside the UK.

Discover the Origin is a campaign part-financed with aid from the European Union, Italy, France and Portugal to promote these five key European products, which all carry a guarantee of their provenance and origin on PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) labels.

On 21 June, Discover the Origin launched a summer campaign aiming to bring further awareness of the importance of provenance and to drive sales of these five products. The campaign runs until the end of July.

Titled ‘Foodie vs. Fauxdie’, the campaign was kick started by Chef Giancarlo Caldesi from Cucina Caldesi and wine expert Fiona Beckett who, during the campaign, will be talking on radio stations throughout the UK about how important to food quality origin is and how purchasers – from consumers to foodservice operators – can seek out the right products through the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), DOC and AOC labels.

The six week campaign includes a burst of activity in the national press including a series of full page advertorials in Observer Food Monthly, BBC Good Food, Delicious, Olive, Food & Travel and Good Housekeeping plus a reader competition in Stella Magazine led by wine expert Susy Atkins. Added to this is a prominent position at the main food and wine exhibitions across the country including Taste Birmingham, the Foodie Festival in Leeds, and the Bristol Food and Wine Fair.

Well-known sommelier Gearoid Devaney and chef Mike Robinson of the Harwood Arms, Fulham have also recently completed a food and wine matching session which is being featured live on www.discovertheorigin.co.uk