That winning feeling... Receiving a Queen’s Award stirs up huge emotions across the board, from pride to elation. Here, past winners describe how their success has proved an honour in more ways than one…
HRH Prince Charles meets Janet and the LittlePod team
HRH Prince Charles is a fan, and more and more people across the world are developing a passion for real vanilla, largely thanks to the tireless work of Janet Sawyer BEMMBE, Executive Chair of LittlePod (littlepod.co.uk). Having won a Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development in 2018, this Devon-based company is committed to the future of real vanilla, given that 97% of vanillin used in the West is artificial. “Vanilla is a very important crop for the world,” explains Janet. “It has many uses and can replenish the soil for reforestation to help climate change. “This year we are bringing to market vanilla pods from our own collaborative orchard in Indonesia, a project which started nine years ago when we worked with a farmer to encourage the Indonesian government to think about restarting their vanilla industry again by planting vanilla vines. Our farmer was successful and this year we received our first harvest. Most importantly, Indonesia has now committed to planting vanilla for reforestation in peat bog areas that were made barren from palm oil planting.”
So how has winning an award boosted business and staff morale? “We have been very honoured to be a Queen’s Award winner, especially in this last year as the pandemic has been very challenging for us all,” says Janet. “However, LittlePod is a company that likes to celebrate, as you can tell from this year’s entry. We have always celebrated the small things as well as the momentous occasions. “Winning is an amazing achievement for such
a small company [LittlePod has just five full- time employees], and being a Queen’s Award winner has earned us great respect. It is seen as an incredible endorsement, especially in Japan where it is viewed as a huge honour. We proudly fly the Queen’s Award flag at our Devon-based headquarters.” And it seems Janet is not alone in appreciating the health, taste and environmental benefits of this wonderful spice, which is derived from an orchid and takes five years to produce. “Prince Charles visited us at Honiton Food Fair and told us he loves vanilla!” says Janet. “We gave him a gift set of our products and he promised to use our vanilla paste in his own kitchen.” Fuelled by their 2018 win, LittlePod launched in Japan last October on the 17th, which the team renamed International REAL vanilla day. This annual event celebrates the farmers on the equatorial belt who dedicate their time to growing real vanilla among their crops, as it is a high value commodity for them, which enables
Real vanilla is derived from an orchid
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