A brand of clotted cream called ‘Definitely Devon’ was slammed yesterday after it emerged it is actually made – in neighbouring Cornwall.
Robert Wiseman dairies, which make the product, has been labelled ”naive” and ”short-sighted” after re-igniting a long-running feud between the two counties.
Fierce rivals Devon and Cornwall have long been at war as to where the cream tea – the main ingredient of which is clotted cream – orginated.
More recently, they have also been at odds over the origins of the pasty after the Cornish version was granted European protected status.
Yesterday, Devon farmers were furious after it emerged the clotted cream was actually made in Scorrier, near Redruth in Cornwall – over 60 miles from the county border.
And to add insult to injury, the packaging instructs buyers to make a cream tea using the Cornish method, of adding jam first and then cream on top.
Bosses at Langage Farm, Devon, said Robert Wiseman dairies clearly had ”no idea” about the importance of Devon’s history of clotted cream, branding it a travesty the Cornish-made product was ”latching onto our heritage”.
Manager Paul Winterton said: ”Our Devonshire clotted cream is made in Devon and it is something we are fiercely proud of.
”I don’t understand for the life of me the decision by Wiseman to call it ‘Definitely Devon’ if it is made or processed in Cornwall.
”It is an absolute travesty for Devon. Langage farm try to promote Devon as a county and push the traditional products made here and this has just completely undermined that.
”I don’t think Wiseman understand the political aspect of this to us and it’s pretty short-sighted and naive on their part.
”Wiseman is actually based in Scotland so I think they just don’t understand the situation down here. They were one of the biggest manufacturers in Devon alongside us so it is a huge blow.
”They have just done it quickly without thinking things through. Their marketing team have missed a trick.
”To be honest if they needed somewhere else to process their cream they could have come to us. I would gladly discuss with them using our facilities to rectify this situation.”
Definitely Devon is made by Robert Wiseman dairy, which moved their production at the beginning of the month from their Okehampton factory in Devon to Scorrier near Redruth in Cornwall.
The company use Devon milk for the product, which is transferred to Cornwall, where it is processed in Cornwall and turned into clotted cream before being distributed to private farm shops as well as giants Lidl and Co-op across the South West.
Trading Standards has confirmed they are happy with the packaging, which now has to bear the words ‘Made in Scorrier’ on the front.
The move follows a long-standing row between Devon and Cornwall over which county makes the best cream tea.
Mike Pearce of Cornishcream.com said: ”The whole thing is a bit strange.
”You would imagine if they wanted to proudly call it ‘Definitely Devon’ they would at least make it there.
”Our products are made in Cornwall and are sold as ‘Cornish clotted cream’ so you’d think the same rule would apply to them.”
Last year Mr Winterton launched an application for EU protection on cream teas, which, if it succeeds, would protect the traditional combination of tea, scones, clotted cream and jam.
He added: ”The application is currently being reviewed by DEFRA but it is a very lengthy process.
”We want a Protected Designation of Origin for Devon cream teas, so that the county is recognised as where the tradition originates.”
Cornwall was awarded a protected designation of origin by the EU in 1998 for its Cornish clotted cream, and most recently it also won protected status for Cornish pasties.
A spokesman for Robert Wiseman dairies said: ”On the fourth of April we moved production of our ‘Definitely Devon’ clotted cream to a factory in Cornwall.
”We contacted trading standards on the matter and were advised to include a ‘made in Scorrier’ sticker on our product which we have done.”
