Cornwall is renowned for its creativity, craftsmanship and its wholesome food and drink. However, as with all good things, there are always people ready to impersonate and take advantage of this reputation.
Following numerous complaints about goods being called ‘Cornish’ but not being made in Cornwall, to which there was no simple legal solution, Cornwall County Council’s Trading Standards Service launched the ‘Made in Cornwall’ scheme, or Approved Origin scheme as it is officially known, in 1991 to protect the identity of genuine Cornish products. It introduced the distinctive Engine House logo that members of the scheme can use on their products so that the public can buy goods safe in the knowledge that what they are purchasing is indeed Made in Cornwall.
To enable the scheme to grow, and make the best use of those around us, whilst keeping Cornwall at our heart, in 2018, a Community Interest Company (CIC) was established, MIC Enterprises CIC. The Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and Visit Cornwall joined Cornwall Council as equal partners to operate the CIC and the Made in Cornwall Scheme. In keeping with the ethos of CICs, all partners are not-for-profit organisations that have the interests of Cornwall at the heart of what they do.
Before products are allowed to carry the Made in Cornwall logo they need to be assessed by Trading Standards to ensure that; they are genuinely being made in Cornwall, that the business attempts to source ingredients or raw materials from within the County (with extra merit given to those that do) and that the finished products comply with the relevant UK and EU regulations.
More recently, the scheme has been opened up to include Services as well as products, recognising that the Service Industry plays a huge role in the Cornish economy. Any service providers wishing to join the Made in Cornwall scheme must obviously operate from within Cornwall, where possible, all staff are to be recruited from the local area and all relevant UK and EU Regulations must be met. Additional value to the economy, such as partnerships with other local businesses or community activities will also be considered.
Any business wishing to become a member of the Scheme will firstly receive a visit from the Trading Standards Team, not only to ensure the products and services meet the membership criteria but also to support and advise applicants if necessary.
Currently the scheme has over 250 members, ranging from individual crafts people to internationally trading manufacturing companies covering all industry sectors from food and drink to arts and crafts, from fashion through to websites, and furniture to cosmetics, it is the largest such scheme in the Country.
By choosing Made in Cornwall you are not only buying fabulous gifts or quality skills, you are also directly supporting Cornwall’s creative and entrepreneurial heritage, as well as helping the local economy, and doing your bit to help protect our unique environment by reducing your carbon footprint.
