Maple syrup boasts a whole range of health benefits which actually make it the perfect year-round sweet treat and not just for Pancake Day.

According to Bob Clark, founder of the UK’s leading maple syrup producer Clarks, the pure product which is made from the boiled sap of the Canadian maple tree, truly justifies its ‘super food’ status, ranking it right alongside the more traditionally listed foods which have massively increased in profile as a result – broccoli and blueberries being just two well-known examples.

All this goodness but far fewer of the calories associated with similar products as maple syrup contains just 52 calories per tablespoon – a lot less than the equivalent amount of honey or sugar!

For all its clear health benefits, maple syrup is also a very versatile ingredient.

There are numerous ways to incorporate it into a whole host of recipes – poured over roasting vegetables – particularly good for parsnips and carrots – over crispy cured bacon to really bring out the flavour, as a dressing for salmon or simply as a sugar replacement over breakfast cereal.

Clarke’s produce two versions – Clarks Pure Maple Syrup (100% Maple Syrup) and Clarks Original Maple Syrup (35% Maple Syrup blended with Carob Fruit Syrup). Clarks is the biggest producer and supplier of maple syrup in the UK, capturing 60 per cent of the market in just three years. The Wales-based firm supplies all the big four supermarket groups of Tesco (on the ‘Ambient dessert’ fixture), Asda (on the the ‘Jam and marmalade’ fixture), Sainsbury’s (on the ‘Ice cream accompaniment’ fixture) and Morrisons (on the ‘Ambient dessert’ fixture).