Top chefs gathered at Michelin-starred Simpsons restaurant in Edgbaston for an afternoon of pure maple magic. The unique event, which featured a three-course maple-inspired menu, was hosted by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers and attended by guests including culinary legend Pierre Koffmann.
The event celebrated the UK’s growing appetite for pure Canadian maple syrup. Import figures for January to April 2017 show an increase of more than 200,000 lbs on the same period for 2016. It means annual imports are now on track to smash the previous UK record of 5.4 million Ibs of Canadian maple syrup.
More than 35 guests attended the event including top chefs Adam Stokes, Rob Kennedy, Mark and Sue Stinchcombe as well as members of the team from Purnell’s and top chocolatier William Curley.
The maple menu, by Simpsons’ head chef Nathan Eades, was created following his successful trip to Canada earlier this year when he became the first British chef to cook at the prestigious Maple Festival in Montreal – marking the beginning of maple harvest.
The menu included:
Crispy pork, apple, maple taffy
Cod gravalax, robust-tasting dark maple syrup, sour cream
Chickpea cracker, goats cheese, maple vinegar pearls
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Sprouting spelt grain sourdough, whipped butter, delicate-tasting golden maple syrup
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Loch Duart salmon, cured with fine maple sugar and rich-tasting amber maple cucumber buttermilk, horseradish
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Strong-tasting, very dark maple-glazed beef sirloin, chicory, Blue Monday, pickled walnuts
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Maple butter cheesecake, caramelised maple sugar, banana and lime ice cream
Other high-profile guests included Emma Finn, Trade Commissioner at the Canadian High Commission and Christos Sirros, Agent-General Délégation générale du Québec/Québec Government Office.
Nathalie Langlois, Director of Promotion, Innovation and Market Development at the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, said: “It was an honour to meet so many talented chefs from around the UK and not only talk to them about maple syrup, but taste this authentic, 100% natural product in a truly unique menu.
“On behalf of the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, I would like to thank everyone who attended and Nathan and the team at Simpsons for all their hard work. I hope the UK market continues its love affair with maple and I look forward to seeing it on more menus in the future.”
David Colcombe, BCF committee member and UK Chef Ambassador for the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, said: “Since I have started working with this natural product, I have grown to love it for its versatility and heritage. The pure maple magic lunch was a great opportunity to demonstrate this, and it was fantastic to see so many top chefs and culinary legends enjoying what maple has to offer.”
