Welsh plum given regional protected status

The Denbigh plum - Wales' only native plum fruit

A Welsh plum has been given the same protected status as French Champagne, Italian prosciutto ham and Spanish manchego cheese.

The Denbigh Plum has been awarded protected designation of origin (PDO) status by the European Union.

It marks a lengthy fight to recognise the fruit, which is Wales' only native variety.

It joins Anglesey sea salt, Conwy mussels, and Caerphilly cheese among foods of protected status.

"This is the consequence of years of work by a group of volunteers from the Denbigh area to protect Wales' only native plum," said Nia Williams, the secretary of the Denbigh Plum Group.

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"It has far-reaching consequences, not only in terms of the food that is produced with the plums, but in terms of planting trees in the whole of the Vale of Clwyd, because it is important that the whole valley benefits from this.

"There will be opportunities for tourism, because everyone will have heard about the Vale of Clwyd due to this."

A ripe Denbigh plum - fans praise its juicy, dark yellow flesh

The plum becomes the 16th item of food produce in Wales to be added to the protected name status lists.

The UK Government has said all produce currently protected by EU rules in Britain will make up the new list of goods with a protected geographic indication following 29 March and exiting the EU.

Officials said they anticipated that the new UK status would also be recognised by the EU, even in a no-deal scenario.