A petition to save the Made in Sheffield quality assurance marque has succeeded.
The Made in Sheffield Marque is a quality assurance stamp controlled by the Master Cutlers organisation.
The stamp signifies that products meet rigorous quality standards for the manufacture of stainless steel and other materials.
The marque came under threat earlier this year however, when Business Secretary Vince Cable called for a consultation on the marque, and several other protected brand names. The consultation was part of the government’s Red Tape Challenge to remove obstacles to business.
Around 400 individuals signed a petition to exempt the Made in Sheffield marque from this process. Fears were raised by the Master Cutlers organisations and local business leaders that changes to the rules around the application of the marque would allow cheap imitations of Sheffield’s famous steel to be made in countries such as China.
It was announced today that government would not continue its talk on lifting the brand’s protected status. The backtrack is partially attributed to the intervention of deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who is also MP for Sheffield Hallam.
The liberal democrat leader told local newspaper The Star: “It is absolutely right to look at reducing unnecessary red tape and regulations.
“However, I won’t allow Sheffield’s worldwide reputation for high quality products and services to be undermined.”
