CHEESED OFF OVER LABELS?

You may be familiar with an ongoing stoush between Australia and the European Union over who can use terms like feta and camembert – names which have been seen as generic terms in most of the world but are seen as specific to definite areas by those who live in them.

I thought this mainly a French thing, and, just as Australians wouldn’t like some winery in Argentina calling a wine a “Coonawarra shiraz”, I can understand that a Beaujolais needs to come from Beaujolais.

Until Hugh the Neighbour and I sat down to enjoy our customary couple of quiet ones last Sunday, I never realised British brewers had joined the bandwagon.

We tucked into a Kentish Strong Ale from Shepherd Neame Brewery called the Bishops Finger.

The name refers to a signpost on a pilgrims’ way near Canterbury that points to the tomb of St Thomas A Becket.

It is a pleasant enough tipple, a 5.4 per cent coppery golden colour with a hoppy backbone.

Like many beverages from the UK it felt a little flat on the tongue.

What did stand out though was the line on the label – “EU Protected Geographical Indication”.

It transpires that Shepherd Neame brewery draws all the ingredients from the local geographical area – including the chalk-filtered well water that goes into its manufacture.

And presumably nobody can use the trademarks Shepherd Neame or Bishops Finger either, so they have their marketing edge wrapped up.

This is unlike, say, pale ales where we can say this one is better than that one.

All that aside – not the worst beer I have tried.