Crown Maple's Michael Cobb Discusses Usage and Merchandising Tips

This winter, retailers and foodservice operators are looking for the best options to drive holiday sales and encourage impulse buys. And artisanal maple syrup and maple-based gourmet food maker Crown Maple has offerings primed to inspire seasonal sales and drive repeat purchases in deli and bakery departments, specialty food stores, and foodservice venues.

“There are endless applications of maple syrup as a remarkable and robust natural sweetener and ingredient to elevate flavors,” said Michael Cobb, Chief Executive Officer. “We frequently say 'it’s not just for pancakes' because the versatility of Crown Maple plays so well across almost every meal occasion and perimeter retail location. Crown Maple can be used to showcase recipe ideas and create new recipes and uses that will intrigue the consumer.”

With a variety of unique flavor profiles and pairing ideas, the company has everything an enterprising retailer or menu-maker might need to feature the complex, sweet flavor of maple alongside complementary products.

“The sweet and savory combinations of pure maple is increasingly found in leading kitchens as a culinary ingredient for saucing, drizzling, topping, and finishing,” Michael said. “Pure maple initially demonstrates the traditional sweet properties and in expanded uses demonstrates the complex depth and range of flavors accentuated by the specific grade of maple—from Golden Color Delicate Taste to Amber Color Rich Taste, Dark Color Robust Taste, and Very Dark Color Strong Taste. Given the range of flavors and the new Crown Maple infused syrups.”

Crown Maple Amber Color Rich Taste Maple Syrup

The aromas and flavors of gingerbread, roasted chestnut, toffee, and a hint of clove and nutmeg, present themselves nicely to pair with light and medium-body cheese:

• Triple-crème
• Ricotta
• Fresh goat cheese
• Simple cheddars
• Cream cheese

Crown Maple Dark Color Robust Taste Maple Syrup

With flavors and aromas of graham cracker, toffee, brown butter, and toasted pecans with a hint of warm spice, Crown Maple Dark Color Robust Taste maple syrup will pair elegantly with creamy, medium-body and robust cheeses equally:

• Fresh goat cheese
• Creamy soft ripened cheeses like brie and triple crème
• Salty, nutty and hard cheeses like Pecorino and Parmesan

Crown Maple Very Dark Color Strong Taste Maple Syrup

Deeply caramelized flavors and aromas of molasses, crème brûleè, espresso, and cocoa beans with hints of clove, allspice, and anise, make Crown Maple Very Dark Color Strong Taste syrup the best pairing for more full-bodied, robust and assertive cheeses:

• Cheddars and Aged Cheddars and Aged Goudas
• Sheep’s milk cheeses
• Blue Cheeses
• More robust soft ripened cheese such as Camembert, Taleggio

Additionally, here are some simple delights to create everyday:

• Stir puremaple syrup into crème fraiche, ricotta, fresh goat cheese, and cream cheese and use as a dip for fresh fruit or spread on a cracker for a quick indulgent snack
• Drizzle on the inside of your cheese sandwich before grilling and then finish your grilled cheese with a drizzle on the bread—get creative with your homemade spicy sweet or use theCrown Maple infused line—Cinnamon Infused, Applewood Smoked, Bourbon Barrel Aged

And in bakery departments, Crown Maple is an equally versatile accompaniment to confections and baked goods with a nearly inexhaustible set of options.

“Crown Maple may be used across baked goods as an ingredient to create new solutions or simply provide a better sweetener alternative—topping, as a spread, maple icings and glazes, ingredient for sticky buns, breads, cakes, muffins…the solutions are endless,” added Michael.

Additionally, Crown Maple offers a huge variety of usage ideas and recipes on the company’s website.

For more on all things dairy, deli, and bakery, check in with us at Deli Market News.