Terroir, by gum

Up in Harrogate the other day for the Great Yorkshire Show, and the feeling of pride in hosting the Tour de France Grand Départ this year was almost visible in the air. The town itself was festooned with yellow and red spotted bicycles and bunting of all types was everywhere. My personal favourites were the little knitted cycling jerseys, hung on strings. One local woman told me she knew it was a success when her daughter¹s friends in Spain started asking her when they could come stay with them in Yorkshire. It is so beautiful on the tv, they exclaimed. A tourism board couldn’t ask for better publicity. Even the rain held off.

I am sure all the people in what is known as ‘God’s own country’ were pleased, but they’ll have to step up production of brack, curd tarts, parkin, puddings and of course Wensleydale cheese. Not to mention the many other fine dairy products on offer, such as Harrogate Blue cheese. They may also have to provide some translation services, as my friends who travelled up there to view the setting off, were left wondering what some people were talking about when asking directions and so forth. I have no such problem, having married a Lancastrian. Who greeted the news that the Tour would depart from Leeds with a dour, ‘Wrong side t’Pennines.’ I think they’re ready for the added volume of tourists, however. When wandering around the show, I saw Yorkshire branding everywhere ­ rapeseed oil, cheeses, hams, beer and preserves. To name just a few. Which is unremarkable, but I think the penny has really dropped now with local producers, and this is something the French département system has known for a long time. 

People want to buy local food made by local people. Your terroir is your selling point. Go forth and brand geographically. Yorkshire and France has more in common than just the lycra-clad lads zooming around the roads. They both understand terroir. It is a common language.