AS Newmarket celebrates the culmination of a 10 year battle to have its sausages legally protected, north of Soham G’s Marketing is determined to give its Fenland celery similar protection.

The Barway-based company has applied for Protected Geographical Indication status so only local producers will be able to market Fenland celery.

“The black soil type in the Fens is the best for growing this type of celery,” said G’s marketing director Anthony Gardiner.

Newmarket Sausages have been battling for a decade to gain Protected Geographical Indication from the European Commission.

The unique bangers have been made locally for 150 years and businessmen such as Grant Powter of Powter Sausages believe such recognition will protect their reputation and quality.

David Heath, minister for agriculture and food, said the PGIs were important in “keeping traditional foods and recipes alive.

“The Newmarket sausage is unchanged since the days of Queen Victoria and the original recipe has been passed down the generations.”

Food such as Parma Ham, Champagne, Cornish pasties and Melton Mowbray pork pies also benefit from PGIs which G’s hope will protect and enhance the cause of Fenland celery.

Waitrose has already started to stock G’s Fenland winter celery and London restaurants have shown a renewed interest.

The main variety of Fenland celery grown using the traditional method is Dwarf White, which was developed in the Fens over 100 years ago and has shorter stems which give customers more leaf. This can be used for extra flavour in stocks, soups and stews.

Fenland celery is grown in wide rows with deep trenches. This allows the soil to be banked up around the celery as it grows. This ‘earthing up’ process keeps the celery warm and protected from frost as it battles to grow through the winter months.