The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (FPAQ) is proud to announce its first ever affiliation with a university, University College Birmingham (UCB), based in the UK.
FPAQ has worked with UK consultant chef, David Colcombe and tutors at UCB, to develop an education programme that will sit alongside culinary students’ course modules, to educate them about the benefits and versatility of working with pure maple syrup and maple products from Quebec and Canada.
Through the Food Development and Innovation programme at the Higher Education School of the College of Food at UCB, students have been asked to develop a recipe suitable for the FPAQ official UK website, welovemaple.co.uk. Students were asked to consider nutrition, health and consumer trends, and the tone of the website while developing their recipes before presenting their chosen creations to chef Colcombe and representatives from FPAQ.
Neil Rippington, dean of the College of Food at University College Birmingham said: “The competent use and development of recipes is fundamental to the training and final role of professionals employed in food related industries.
“The opportunity to work on industry relevant brief such as this is essential for developing the appropriate skills and knowledge for a career in the industry.”
He continued, “We are honoured to be chosen as the first university in the world to run this programme with such a prominent, global organisation and we look forward to seeing what the students produce.”
Mylène Denicolaï, director of promotions at the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, also commented: “This is an international first for FPAQ and something we highly value. The link with a university in the UK supports our mission to educate consumers on the benefits of maple and make it a more commonly used ingredient in cooking and baking.
“The opportunity to create an education programme with such a prestigious university is a great opportunity for FPAQ, and something that we wish to replicate across the continent.”
Students from the college presented their developments to chef Colcombe and representatives from the FPAQ on 13th December 2016. There was a large range of recipes, from milkshakes and desserts to chutney and cocktails. The winning dish was produced by Maryan Hashi, who created an innovative and delicious samosa infused with maple.
Maryan was awarded a 1.5L bottle of pure maple syrup – the best recipes will be uploaded on to the welovemaple.co.uk website.
University College Birmingham is one of the UK’s foremost colleges for the culinary arts. Today hospitality managers, chefs, bakers and tourism industry experts learn skills for life at a university hailed for its vocational training, academic achievements and cultural diversity. Famous alumni include Michelin star chefs April Bloomfield (Spotted Pig and The Breslin, New York) and Glynn Purnell (Purnell’s, Birmingham).
