Four generations of Meurens, a single repeated gesture
It all began in Aubel at the end of the 19th century, when the Meurens family set up their first copper cauldrons in the province of Liège. The region then had dozens of farmhouse syrup makers: every village had its own syrup cook, its own touch, its own secret. Over the decades, many disappeared — ours, however, held on. For four generations, the same family has overseen the cooking, chosen the fruit, and adjusted the temperatures. What is passed down here is not a recipe written in a notebook: it is an interpretation, an observation, and constant attention to the raw material. Syrup is not manufactured; it is guided.
Slow cooking in copper cauldrons
The method has remained identical in spirit, even if the tool has been modernised. The apples and pears are first crushed, then cooked until they form a thick compote. This compote is then pressed, its juice filtered, and then reduced for a long time over a low heat — for several hours — until that brown, dense and slightly translucent paste is obtained which is characteristic of Le Vrai Sirop de Liège®. No added pectin, no flavourings, no preservatives: it is the apple that naturally provides the set for the syrup, and patience that does the rest. Cooking a syrup also means knowing when to stop at the right moment — too early, and it will remain too runny; too late, and it will be bitter. It is all a matter of timing, and that is precisely what cannot be learned from a book.
A legacy looking forward
Preserving this expertise does not mean locking it away in the past. Each generation has made its own contribution: a new format, a new fruit flavour, an improvement in quality or traceability. The traditional recipe remains, but today it is combined with 100% fruit syrups, with no added sugar, or on-the-go formats such as squeeze packs. It’s a way of staying true to the original spirit, whilst adapting to today’s lifestyles.
