UK sales of Canadian maple syrup reach record imports

New figures released last week by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (FPAQ) reveal record imports to the UK recorded at 1,659,117 lbs.

 

The figures for the first quarter of 2017 represent an increase of more than 200,000 lbs on the same period for 2016 with annual imports of Canadian maple syrup now on track to smash the previous UK record of 5.4 million lbs.

 

There has also been a record spring harvest of Canadian Maple Syrup with a total of 152.2 million lbs tapped from maple trees in the province.

 

To celebrate the success of the product, guests including chefs Pierre Koffmann, Adam Stokes and Aktar Islam joined Serge Beaulieu, president of the FPAQ and Nathan Eades, head chef of Simpson's in Birmingham to celebrate the success of the harvest and the increased usage.

 

Eades, who traveled to Canada earlier this year to produce the 2017 Maple Festival celebratory dinner reproduced some flavours from his Canadian maple menu including crispy pork, apple and maple taffy; cod gravadlax, dark maple and sour cream; chickpea cracker, goat's cheese and maple vinegar pearls and a starter of Loch Duart salmn, cured with fine maple sugar and amber maple cucumber, buttermilk and horseradish.

 

"The UK has taken pure Canadian maple syrup to its heart," commented Beaulieu at the lunch. "Consumers love its distinctive, premium flavour and see it as a great alternative to refined sweeteners,"

 

"The figures represent phenomenal growth in a decade and are testament to UK's desire to seek out healthier alternatives to sugar."

 

The FPAQ is responsible for exporting maple products to 50 countries including the UK. Canada is the world's largest producer of maple syrup, responsible for 80% of the world's total supply.

 

Main picture (left to right): Nathan Eades, head chef Simpson's Birmingham, Nathalie Langlois director of Promotion, Innovation and Market Development at the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (FPAQ) and chef Pierre Koffmann. Picture by Edward Moss

 

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