A BID to have Dundee Cake listed as a protected food and safeguard its links to the city has been rejected by the UK Government.
Makers of the fruit cake, which is traditionally flavoured with oranges and decorated with whole almonds, had applied to have it as a food with a protected geographical indication (PGI), awarded to regional products that have a reputation or noted characteristics specific to an area.
But a notice published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has stated it has been concluded “the name Dundee Cake is generic”.
“The Secretary of State therefore considers that the conditions for registration of Dundee Cake as a protected geographical indication are not fulfilled, the application does not meet the requirements of the Regulation and must be rejected,” it added.
The application for PGI status for Dundee Cake, which says it has support from celebrity baker Paul Hollywood, outlined that it is a regional food product of the professional cake-bakers of Dundee – members of a wider group of Scottish bakers whose origins can be traced back to the Auld Alliance with France.
It has its origins in the marmalade makers Keiller's of Dundee, who used leftover orange peel to create a cake.
“Dundee Cake is inextricably linked to the city of Dundee and its history and heritage,” the application said.
“The city's bakers today have come together to ensure that the original quality and ingredients for Dundee Cake are maintained safeguarding our heritage and its link to the city protected.”
