Plantation Reserve
Encyclopedia
Plantation Reserve Sugar
is a product of the West Indies Sugar & Trading Company
of Barbados
and is a coarser, lighter raw cane sugar with a distinctive natural taste. The product itself is only made using sugarcane
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.
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 the European 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 of topsoil
and prevents flooding. The company also supports the sugar heritage of Barbados in conjunction with the Barbados 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.
, including Barbados, and the United Kingdom
, where it is available through stores including Harrods
and Fortnum & Mason
as well as supermarket chains including Waitrose
, Booths
and Tesco
.
, London and Sandy Lane Hotel
in Barbados as well as in The Cliff restaurant and at the Royal enclosure at Ascot races. Chefs use the natural flavour of Plantation Reserve in small quantities to enhance dishes such as crème brûlée
and to add flavour to dressings, sauces and desserts. 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 buttery caramel
taste and a more intense, deep flavour and aroma than any other sugar. It is very, very different."
Other than cooking, it is used on porridge and to enhance the taste of teas and coffees.
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
is a product of the West Indies Sugar & Trading Company
West Indies Sugar & Trading Company
The West Indies Sugar & Trading Company Ltd is a partnership between the government of Barbados and the private sector in order to help support the Barbados sugar industry, primarily through the production, marketing and export of a premium sugar brand, Plantation Reserve.The company is also...
of Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and is a coarser, lighter raw cane sugar with a distinctive natural taste. The product itself is only made using sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
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.
Background
Plantation Reserve has been developed with the government of BarbadosGovernment of Barbados
Government of Barbados consists of: The Monarch, HM Queen Elizabeth II ; The Prime Minister, The Hon. Freundel Stuart, and his Cabinet; as legislature, divided into two chambers , and an independent judiciary...
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
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
price traditionally paid for sugar by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. 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 of topsoil
Topsoil
Topsoil is the upper, outermost layer of soil, usually the top to . It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs.-Importance:...
and prevents flooding. The company also supports the sugar heritage of Barbados in conjunction with the Barbados National Trust
Barbados National Trust
The Barbados National Trust, founded in 1960, is an organisation which works to preserve and protect the natural and artistic heritage of Barbados and to increase public awareness of Barbados' historic and architectural treasures...
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.
Markets
Plantation Reserve is primarily sold through the English speaking CaribbeanAnglophone Caribbean
The term Commonwealth Caribbean is used to refer to the independent English-speaking countries of the Caribbean region. Upon a country's full independence from the United Kingdom, Anglophone Caribbean or Commonwealth Caribbean traditionally becomes the preferred sub-regional term as a replacement...
, including Barbados, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it is available through stores including Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
and Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason, often shortened to just "Fortnum's" is a department store, situated in central London, with two other branches in Japan. Its headquarters is located at 181 Piccadilly, where it was established in 1707 by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason...
as well as supermarket chains including Waitrose
Waitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
, Booths
Booths
Booths is a chain of supermarkets in Northern England. Most of its branches are located in Lancashire, but there are also branches in Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. Booths is targeted at the middle class market and competes on quality as opposed to just...
and Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
.
Response
It has been used at the Ritz HotelRitz Hotel
The Ritz London is a luxury 5-star hotel located in Piccadilly and overlooking Green Park in London.- History :Swiss hotelier César Ritz, former manager of the Savoy Hotel, opened the hotel on 24 May 1906...
, London and Sandy Lane Hotel
Sandy Lane (resort)
The Sandy Lane Beach Resort and Spa is an upmarket, five-diamond luxury hotel and beach resort situated close to Holetown and Paynes Bay, in Saint James on the island-nation of Barbados. The Sandy Lane Beach Resort was first opened in 1961 on what was formerly a sugar cane plantation...
in Barbados as well as in The Cliff restaurant and at the Royal enclosure at Ascot races. Chefs use the natural flavour of Plantation Reserve in small quantities to enhance dishes such as crème brûlée
Crème brûlée
Crème brûlée , also known as burnt cream, crema catalana, or Trinity cream is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramel...
and to add flavour to dressings, sauces and desserts. 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 buttery caramel
Caramel
Caramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
taste and a more intense, deep flavour and aroma than any other sugar. It is very, very different."
Other than cooking, it is used on porridge and to enhance the taste of teas and coffees.