Bramley apple pie is given protected status as EU officials recognise it as historical delicacy

Bramley apples were first grown in Nottinghamshire in 1809

Traditional Bramley apple pie filling has been granted protected status by the European Commission after it was recognised as a uniquely British product.

Joining the likes of Stilton cheese, Melton Mowbray pork pies and Cornish pasties, Bramley apple pie filling - a mixture of apples, water and sugar - has been placed on the Traditional Specialities Guaranteed (TSG) list.

"We are delighted that Bramley apples have been recognised by the EU and that they, like us, realise that the heritage of such an iconic British ingredient is worth celebrating and the traditional Bramley apple pie filling worth protecting," said Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apples and Pears.

"Bramley apple pies are part of British cooking heritage and have been enjoyed for generations, this rubber stamp serves to make sure that apple pie standard remain high and pudding lovers’ enjoyment maximised."

Products can be recognised as TSG if they are made with traditional raw ingredients or traditional methods, according to EU regulation.

TSG recognition can boost revenue for farmers and increase the market value of the products, “by guaranteeing that they are distinguishable from other similar products or foodstuffs”.

Other foods with TSG recognition are Mozzarella and Parma ham.

Their tangy taste and moist texture means more than 95 per cent of apples sold in the UK for cooking are Bramley apples. They were first grown by a young girl in Nottinghamshire in 1809, according to English Apples and Pears.