Elbows up! Maple syrup sales soar as UK shoppers show support

Its claims to fame include maple syrup and extreme politeness, so it is perhaps fitting that in the face of Donald Trump's assault on Canada's sovereignty and economy, Britons are queuing up to show their support.

- Zoe Wood Rupert Jones

Gestures are being made on the national stage as well as on high streets: King Charles has planted a red maple at Buckingham Palace and UK shoppers are copying the "buy Canadian" movement by putting the country's products in their baskets.

Waitrose said sales of its No 1 Canadian amber maple syrup had risen 22% year on year while its white Canadian bread flour was up 9%. In the past month sales of Canadian Club blended whisky have risen by more than 60%.

Mark Sultana, the founder of Canadians in London, a 9,000-member expat community, says: "Conversations have noticeably shifted in that people want to talk about politics rather than: 'Why did you move to the UK because Canada is so beautiful?'"