Huntsville-based maple syrup producers, Barmont Maple, have taken two top prizes at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair this year.
Their amber syrup received first place, and their dark syrup placed third. They were also Reserve Champions, receiving the Dominion & Grimm trophy.
They were up against syrups from Ontario, Quebec, and New York.
“The Royal is a long-standing event and it comes with great respect. It’s truly a Canadian tradition. We are beyond honoured to enter it let alone win,” said Colette Freeman of Barmont Maple.
Other local winners were Emes Family Maple Syrup from Dorset, which placed third for their golden syrup, and Hubberts Maple Products from Sundridge which took second place in the stirred maple sugar category.
Barmont Maple is a family-run syrup bush that began 74 years ago when Freeman’s grandmother, Helen Barnett Montpetit, began making syrup. Their property has more than 100 acres of syrup bush near Otter Lake.
“One of my earliest childhood memories is standing around an open fire skimming a pan of maple syrup,” Freeman said.
Their production has only gotten bigger over the decades and the entire family takes part in some way or another.
“We use syrup on everything: we bake with it, we cook with it. We are tasting it constantly, especially during syrup season,” said Freeman.
She and her uncle, Julian Montpetit, take their syrup all over Ontario and enter different competitions throughout the year.
For more than 25 years, Montpetit has been the head syrup maker. They are members of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association.
Freeman got significantly more involved in Barmont Maple four years ago when she retired from her career as a teacher. She loves incorporating the family’s syrup into her recipes. Her maple butter tarts have been awarded top prizes over the years at different conferences and events.
You may have seen Freeman at the Muskoka Maple Fest, which she is heavily involved in, and she also sells Barmont products at local farmers’ markets.
After receiving so much positive feedback on their syrup over the years, the family was urged to enter it into the Royal Winter Fair.
While syrup is typically delivered to the fair in person, due to COVID contestants had to mail in their bottles. Judges send contestants cards with a few comments and feedback.
While this was Barmont Maple’s second time entering the Royal, it was their first time winning. They are currently waiting for their trophy to arrive in the mail.
“One of the things with syrup makers is that we all help each other to make the best syrup that we can,” said Freeman. “It’s only made in a small area of the world so we want to help each other so we all have the best possible product. We support each other no matter what. If you get two syrup makers together we can talk for hours.”
You can find Barmont Maple on Facebook here and on Instagram @barmontmaple.
To purchase syrup from Barmont Maple, contact Collette Freeman at: 613-334-2874.
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CONGRATULATIONS !!!