Maple sugar time in Portneuf
By David C, February 14 2025
Meals at the sugar shack, gourmet dinners, lodging, maple beers, farm stands and even some old-time recipes: in Portneuf, the maple tree is king when springtime comes! The sugar shack season is just around the corner, so if maple products are what you’re looking for, here are our suggestions for sweet tooths young and old.
A tasty meal
For a truly traditional experience, Cabane à sucre Chabot is the place to be: open in Neuville since 1964! With pea soup, pancakes and grands-pères (maple syrup dumplings), maple is the star at both lunchtime and dinner. Be sure to try the new Blanche de la cabane, a beer brewed exclusively at L’Esprit de Clocher Microbrewery! Kids will also love the minifarm, maple taffy on snow and sleigh rides. Click here to book.
Maple on the go
At the heart of the Au Chalet en Bois Rond tourist village is Cabane festive, still operated using the traditional method with sap spouts and buckets. This year, from March 22 to April 19, the sugar shack will be open every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for delicious maple taffy on snow. Festive music, a crackling fire, a children’s snow slide and all-you-can-eat taffy await you! What’s more, the store at the entrance is stocked with their maple products: syrup, sugar loaf, lollipops, cones, maple caramel, taffy and more.
Stop in to visit our producers and foodies stores! Near Neuville, La Coulérable maple farm has everything a sweet tooth could wish for: syrup, taffy, butter, maple chips, sugar loaf, fondant, caramel, jelly, truffles . . . Pick up their products directly at the sugar shack (please call ahead to book an appointment). In Saint-Léonard-de-Portneuf, Cabane de la Chute à l’Ours opens its store on weekends to offer organic syrup and other delicacies. Follow their Facebook page for opening hours.
And speaking of La Coulérable, their maple syrup is used by another Neuville business. L’Esprit de Clocher Microbrewery boasts two beers brewed with this precious nectar: L’Étoile du Nord, a maple-flavoured copper ale, and L’arbre de vie, a maple-smoked Scotch ale. In Saint-Raymond, the Roquemont brews Allen’s Mill, a rich scotch ale with a generous dash of maple syrup. Available at the microbrewery counter and at various outlets in the region.
A little later in the season, La Sucrière in Deschambault opens its warm and welcoming boutique. In addition to traditional maple syrup and sugar, La Sucrière offers a wide range of delicacies: vinaigrette, marinade, mustard, pepper, brie toppings, almonds and much more. A selection of their products can also be found at Deschambault’s Magasin général and Fromagerie des Grondines.
Look out for our regional farm stands, where some of your favourite agrifood producers will be offering their seasonal maple products, such as Ferme Orel, Ferme Mafix, Ferme Syldia, Ferme Saint-Joseph, Ferme du Alain and Élevage Bovin Saint-Gilbert. Local restaurants and producers are also taking advantage of the sugar season to add a touch of maple to their menus, whether it’s a tasty meal, a decadent pastry or a seasonal brioche!
La Fête aux sucres
On April 5th, the town of St-Raymond hosts the Fête aux sucres at Place de l’Église. Maple taffy, producers, horse rides, chansonnier, amateur lumberjack competition and fun for all the family will be on the program for this springtime celebration!
A sweet getaway
Looking to spend the night in a sugar bush? Larguer les samares is a small agrotourism business in Saint-Casimir whose goal is to redefine the spirit of the traditional sugar shack while keeping faithful to its deeply rooted heritage. This B&B is the place to come to recharge your batteries and take in nature among the maple trees. Relaxation guaranteed. Be sure to take home a bottle of their delicious maple syrup!
Home cooking
Now that you’ve stocked up on maple products, it’s time to get cooking! Good thing there are so many local recipes on the Portneuf, Culture de saveurs website. Gravlax with maple pepper and gin, salmon with sea buckthorn and maple syrup, teriyaki and maple tofu bowl, and date square are just some of the featured dishes.
Finally, Centre d’archives régional de Portneuf, in collaboration with Pôle gourmand Deschambault-Grondines, has posted online a section on local ancestral recipes featuring maple products. If you’re nostalgic for the meals of yesteryear, get cooking!
We wish you a very happy maple sugar time! And don’t forget to share your sweetest moments and discoveries using the #RegionPortneuf tag.