- Plantation Reserve
Plantation Reserve
Sugar is a product of theWest Indies Sugar & Trading Company ofBarbados and is a coarser, lighter raw cane sugar with a distinctive natural taste. The product itself is only made usingsugarcane selected and harvested when sucrose content is at its peak. This occurs during a 2 week period of the 5 month harvest season and provides exceptionally pure juice for the mills. This juice purity allows the production of naturally larger crystals through a unique process that takes almost three times longer than that used for normal sugar. [ [http://www.observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,,2129096,00.html "Observer Food Monthly"] ]Background
Plantation Reserve has been developed with the
government of Barbados in order to ensure the sustainability of the Barbados sugar industry. The company pays almost twice as much as any equivalent sugar product reflecting both the unique process required to produce Plantation Reserve and a need to ensure that farmers to make a reasonable margin. This is part of an effort to support the Barbados sugar industry, under threat from a decline in the subsidised price traditionally paid for sugar by theEuropean Union . Sugar is important to Barbados not only from a foreign exchange and aesthetic perspective, helping to keep the island attractive for tourism, but also protects the island’s thin layer oftopsoil and prevents flooding. The company also supports the sugar heritage of Barbados in conjunction with theBarbados National Trust and is based at the Morgan Lewis sugar mill, Barbados – the oldest surviving wind powered mill in the world, which still grinds canes for Plantation Reserve. [ [http://www.nationnews.com/story/315801234507187.php "Nation News Barbados"] ]Markets
Plantation Reserve is primarily sold through the English speaking Caribbean, including Barbados, and the
United Kingdom , where it is available through stores includingHarrods andFortnum & Mason as well as supermarket chains includingWaitrose ,Booths andTesco .Response
It has been used at the
Ritz Hotel , London and Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados as well as in The Cliff restaurant and at the Royal enclosure at Ascot races. [ [http://www.acp-eucourier.info/Sugar-without-a-Protocol.170.0.html "EU Courier"] ] Chefs use the natural flavour of Plantation Reserve in small quantities to enhance dishes such ascrème brûlée and to add flavour todressings ,sauces anddesserts . According to Sandy Lane’s executive pastry chef, Cameron Steele, "If you smelled and tasted Plantation Reserve blind against other golden sugars, you would definitely spot the difference. It has a butterycaramel taste and a more intense, deep flavour and aroma than any other sugar. It is very, very different." [ [http://www.observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,,2129096,00.html "Observer Food Monthly"] ]Other than cooking, it is used on porridge and to enhance the taste of teas and coffees.
ee also
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Sugar
*Barbadian companies References
External links
* [http://www.plantationreserve.co.bb Official Plantation Reserve site]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/foodprogramme_20071111.shtml BBC Food Programme]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2007/03/070312_sugarbar.shtml BBC Caribbean]
* [http://www.economist.com/world/la/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10534965 The Economist]
* [http://www.nationnews.com/story/295612883559752.php The Nation News]
* [http://thefoodielist.co.uk/wp/plantation-reserve-sugar/ The Foodie List]
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