Photo by Paul Dalby

Talking with Norah Rogers the other day, I learned that she and Chris were celebrating County syrup long before Maple in the County was born. When their Waring House Inn, Restaurant, Conference Centre and Cookery School (pause to draw breath!) was little more than a B&B, Norah put jugs of lovely County syrup on the tables and produced a rudimentary little map to help guests find the local maple syrup makers – the Vaders, Stones, Hubbs and Fosters who are still the beating heart of Maple in the County.

“When they were planning Maple in the County, Dan Taylor asked if I minded them taking over the map,” Norah laughed. “I said, ‘Are you kidding? That would be fantastic!” She and Chris sponsored the first Maple weekend in 2001 and they’ve been cheering it on (and contributing as a major sponsor) ever since. “It’s very exciting, and good for County businesses to have about 6,000 people touring around in the spring,” she said. “This year it coincides with Countylicious so there’s even more going on.”

Norah is famous for steering the talk to good things that other people are doing, and our conversation was no exception. I heard how the new brewer at Barley Days, Alex Nichols, has made a knock-out 2010 Sugar Shack Ale using Vaders’ syrup. And how Tiffany over at the Claramount Spa has devised a delicious new treatment using syrup and brown sugar. Apparently maple syrup is rich in anti-oxidants, and I’m up for anything involving brown sugar, so I called Tiffany. She described how she could scrub my skin with sugar and syrup, wrap me gently in plastic, then massage me with warm water jets. I think she could pop me in the oven and bake me into a big County cookie after that, I’d be so relaxed.

Norah did mention the Sugar Shack Soirée at the Waring Hall which sounds pretty rock ‘n roll this year with The Reasons playing and dancing encouraged. She’ll be there with Chris. Man, I don’t know where they get their energy. She’s a GP you know, and Chris is a vet, and they run all their businesses and get involved in just about every event and initiative in the County and they still find time to party. Maybe it’s the maple syrup?

For full details on the 9th Annual Maple in the County taking place on March 27 & 28, 2010 please visit www.mapleinthecounty.ca

Written by Jan Davies