Almost 2 years and more than BD$1 million of research and development has gone into creating Plantation Reserve. In order to produce a genuinely better sugar, the technologists of the BAMC have looked at every aspect of the production process from the cane that is put in, to how the pans are boiled and the type of the sugar that comes out. We’ve only selected the best sugar cane for Plantation Reserve when the juice is at its most pure – in fact, less than one in every hundred canes makes the grade. This produces a coarser, lighter sugar with a taste and aroma that, we think, is truly exceptional.

The BAMC tests sugar cane throughout the harvest season to assess at what point it is at its best. Experts look for a high percentage of sucrose and a low level of impurities. Too early and the cane is not ripe enough, too late and rains can spoil the crop. During the 2006 season, Plantation Reserve was produced between 21 April and 10 May and the island plantations asked to send in their best cane. This cane is milled and the resulting cane juice heated by the island’s most experienced pan boilers to produce crystals that are coarser and lighter in colour than other raw cane sugars.

The Chief Technical Officer at the Barbados Sugar Testing & Research Unit certifies the sugar’s qualities.