World first as Supplant sugar used for Michelin-starred US menu
Supplant, the sugar-from-fibre company, debuted its sugar replacement at the Michelin-starred US restaurants run by chef Thomas Keller over the weekend.
The global first, which follows on US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the sugar replacement product, means that Supplant-based products are on the menus of Thomas Keller’s three core restaurants:
- Supplant-branded ice cream on the dessert menu of the French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, California
- Supplant-branded ice cream on the dessert menu of Per Se restaurant in New York, which has Central Park views
- Supplant-branded shortbreads on the menu of Bouchon Bakery in California.
The launch event saw chef Keller debut an ice cream cart outside the Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, Napa Valley, where passersby received complimentary samples of vanilla ice cream topped with K+M chocolate sprinkles made with Supplant sugars from fibre. All ice cream and cookie recipes prepared by chef Keller and his culinary team for this special offering contain no refined cane sugar; the only sources of sugars are from Supplant sugars from fibre and unrefined sugar sources. All three products using Supplant will remain on the menu of all three outlets.
“This is just to say we’ve got the ingredient and people are buying it and consuming it,” says Supplant founder and CEO Dr Tom Simmons who, prior to starting Supplant, was a postdoctoral research scientist and fellow in the Biochemistry Department of the University of Cambridge, specialising in research into plant sugars and fibres.
“We’re thrilled to launch Supplant sugars from fibre with chef Thomas Keller, whose calibre as one of the world’s greatest chefs is a huge asset for us as we roll out this innovative product across the food system.
“It started from one of the team writing a letter in mid-2019. Next, we were talking to one of his chefs in the New York restaurant, then we sent some ingredients to her, she did some research and got the ice cream to work, and then it got handed up to the boss.”
Thomas Keller’s name is synonymous with quality and high standards. The chef and proprietor has established a collection of restaurants that set a new paradigm in the hospitality profession, including The French Laundry in Napa Valley, and Per Se in New York. Both have three Michelin stars. He is the first and only American-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings from the Michelin Guide, as well as the first American male chef to be designated a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour, the highest decoration in France.
Supplant sugars from fibre is a new blend of sugars found naturally in plant fibre. Supplant is not an alternative sweetener; it’s a blend of real sugars found naturally in plant fiber. Plant fibre is in fact the most abundant source of sugars in the natural world. Supplant sugars from fibre caramelises, as well as bakes and cooks like traditional sugar. However, because it is made from fibre, Supplant retains certain beneficial fibre-based qualities: it is lower in calories, has a lower glycemic response, and is prebiotic. Supplant sugars from fibre are made using a patented method that upcycles agricultural side streams, such as straw, stalks and cobs of corn, wheat and rice. For example, in corn (maize), it’s made from the cob, not the kernel. These fibre-rich parts of crops are hugely abundant and don’t typically make their way into the food system.
Fibre-based sugar products such as baked goods and other treats maintain the same texture and taste as those prepared with cane sugar.
“At The Supplant Company, we’re committed to building a food system that is good for people and for the planet,” Tom concludes.
