TRADITIONAL Welsh cider and perry are the latest of the country’s products to be awarded protected status by the European Commission.

This means products cannot be labelled as Traditional Welsh cider or perry unless they have been made in Wales. Other Welsh products to be afforded European Protected Geographical Indication status include Welsh laverbread, Anglesey sea salt and Conwy mussels.

The Welsh Government’s environment and rural affairs secretary Lesley Griffiths said: “We are forging a reputation for developing unique, high quality products and the industry is already more than half way towards reaching our target of 30 per cent growth from 2014 to 2020.”