In October last year, we blogged about Errington Cheese in Lanarkshire, the small, highly respected family-run company that pioneered raw milk cheesemaking in Scotland.

For the last few months, food writer Joanna Blythman has been campaigning to help Errington Cheese Company. Many others feel the same way as Joanna and a number of prominent figures on Scotland’s food scene have decided to band together and act.

This is their press release:

Following widespread disquiet amongst food lovers and small food companies over the treatment of the Errington Cheese Company by Food Standards Scotland, leading figures on the Scottish food scene are launching a body to highlight threats to the future of artisan food in Scotland.

Concern continues to mount amongst those who wish to safeguard Scotland’s food heritage that small-scale producers of real food are increasingly forced to operate in a hostile regulatory environment, one that favours large-scale industrial processed food and endangers the very existence of true, artisan food culture in Scotland.

The crowd funder set up to help the Errington family’s legal fight against the ban on its cheese has already reached £23.5k- a powerful indication of the strength of public feeling on this subject.

Committee for the Defence of Artisan Food

So top chefs, cooks, writers, and Scottish food experts have formed the Committee for the Defence of Artisan Food. Its purpose is:

‘To support and defend small businesses and artisans producing real, healthy, small-scale foods against any arbitrary, unreasonable, disproportionate actions by food and/or public health authorities’.

The committee (see list of members below) officially launches at a major public meeting on Thursday 2nd February 2017, at 7pm, in The Sanctuary, at Augustine United Church, 41-43 George IV Bridge, in Edinburgh.

Speakers will include:

_Humphrey Errington, founder of Errington Cheese

Wendy Barrie, Director Scottish Food Guide and Scottish Cheese Trail

Pamela Brunton, chef and co-owner of the award-winning Inver Restaurant

Joanna Blythman, food journalist and author_

Everyone is welcome.

Please share this information via all your networks.

Any questions please contact Joanna Blythman on Twitter @Joanna Blythman

Committee for the Defence of Artisan Food members:

Wendy Barrie, director Scottish Food Guide/Scottish Cheese Trail

Fred Berkmiller, chef proprietor, L’escargot Bleu & L’escargot Blanc restaurants

Joanna Blythman, food journalist and author

Pamela Brunton, chef/co-owner, Inver Restaurant, Argyll

Jeremy Dixon, fine food restaurant supplier

Rachel Hammond, butcher/charcutier

Ben Reade, chef, Edinburgh Food Studio

Donald Reid, lecturer in Gastronomy/Food and Drink Editor, The List

Alex Renton, journalist and author

Caroline Rye, chair of Slow Food Edinburgh

Christopher Trotter Fife Food Ambassador and writer