Domaine des 15 lots: a company with family roots

The arrival of spring goes hand in hand with sugaring off time for the 7,400 maple syrup producers in Quebec and for all fans of this precious golden liquid. With a production of 118 million pounds of maple syrup last year, the Quebec market can be difficult to break into for smaller companies. This difficulty, although an obstacle at the start, became a challenge for Nathalie Simoneau, owner of the Domaine des 15 lots . In fact, despite the competition, the company processes and markets maple products of exceptional quality.

The wealth of the earth

Located in Chaudière-Appalaches, in the heart of the most productive maple region, the Érablière des 15 lots is the source that supplies Nathalie. The entrepreneur explains to me: “The siblings took over the family maple grove, the one on which my brother, my sister and I grew up. This is our piece of paradise. We all three love the land. The maple grove is the family project, but, for her part, the entrepreneur has embarked on the marketing of maple products with the Domaine des 15 lots.

The land of 5,000 notches is located in St-Julien and produces three types of syrup: golden, amber and dark, depending on the time of the season. The almost artisanal method of boiling over a wood fire as well as the cold climate and the richness of the soil give the unique taste to the products of the Domaine des 15 lots. “We bottle every day, without mixing the syrups. The taste is slightly different from one bottle to another, we work with what nature gives us,” Nathalie tells me. It is this terroir that it markets through various products.

Exceptional local products

Gift boxes including the three syrups are a star product in major cities such as Montreal, Quebec and Toronto. “The packaging and format immediately call for souvenir gifts. Tourists are one of my target customers in this case,” says the businesswoman. Maple butter, sugar loaves, syrup in 480 ml format and maple sugar “are as sought after by foodies as by consumers who prefer direct contact with the producer,” continues Nathalie.

With her professional background in pastry, the graduate of the École Hôtelière de Montréal also designs desserts cooked with maple sugar, without white sugar. She takes care to use local and seasonal products in her recipes: “I use berries picked in Thetford Mines, my sister has a blueberry field… it's important for me to use these wonderful local products. Nathalie is aware of the current trend towards short circuits, local purchases and artisanal products. She believes her success is tied to this trend. “I am extremely proud to have made my place in this industry of big players with my products that stand out,” notes the entrepreneur.

Valorization of the Quebec terroir

For this lover of earth and maple syrup, the Domaine des 15 lots is an opportunity to promote this noble product. “Few consumers are informed about the methods of production and harvesting and the diversity of tastes. I like to popularize the changes in color and taste over the season,” Nathalie informs me.

Entrepreneurship is synonymous with freedom for the one who started her business in 2014, after seeing that her syrup stood out from others on the market. “My friends told me at the time that my syrup was the best. They could not understand that what was found in the grocery store was nothing like what I produced with my family. The terroir in Quebec is rich in different flavors of maple syrup, I wanted that to be known. »

The products of the Domaine des 15 lots can be found in around twenty points of sale, including the Signé Local boutique . They are also available on the company's website with the option of delivery anywhere in Quebec. Nathalie's wish is to make people discover regional products. “I invite people to be curious, to taste syrups that come from different regions. We are lucky in Quebec to have fabulous diversified products, let's take advantage of it! “, ends the businesswoman.

For more information on the company, visit its member profile .

Reviewed By Melanie

Photo credits: Domaine des 15 lots