I launched LittlePod at Hampton Court in 2010. It was a period in which the world was experiencing one of the worst economic recessions in a lifetime. Since then, there have been many more challenges, none greater than those that we face today.

It has been my privilege to develop a sustainable, award-winning company, and to mentor so many talented and conscientious teams of people, who have helped to build the reputation that LittlePod has today. Each team has been perfect for each phase of LittlePod’s development. I thank them all, each and every one, for the commitment and energy they have given.

Moreover, I have had the pleasure of getting to know the food industry, and the people behind the many wonderful companies LittlePod supply. Many of our customers and suppliers, and the people we work with as distributors, both here in the UK and abroad, have been alongside LittlePod since we first began. I thank them for their loyalty and their contribution to our Campaign for Real Vanilla. They have all supported our desire to educate people about REAL vanilla and its value to the world: to the farmers, the environment and to the enhancement of the quality of our food.

I’ve been part of the team at LittlePod since 2015. I’m a former newspaper journalist with an eye for an interesting angle but until I met Janet, I had no idea how fascinating real vanilla, its origins and its importance, could be. It’s a pleasure to work alongside such committed and knowledgeable people, and I’m passionate about spreading the word about LittlePod’s Campaign for Real Vanilla and how the small decisions we make in our own lives can impact on others, countless miles away. In 2023, I was fortunate enough to travel to Indonesia to meet the vanilla farmers at LittlePod’s collaborative orchard in Bali. This was a privilege and an experience that has made me more determined than ever to keep telling this story.

I joined LittlePod in 2017 carrying out the day to day bookkeeping and accounts for the company. I was recommended to LittlePod and was excited by the idea of working for a local global export company.

It is interesting to see how far-reaching the company has become in such a short time and without losing its small business principles. I love to use the paste in a rich sticky chocolate birthday cake, my children love it!

Dr Vik Mohan is a practicing GP, planetary health pioneer, storyteller and teacher. He combines his expertise as a doctor with a passion for biodiversity conservation to support frontline communities to live sustainably. We donate 10% of all our online sales to help support Vik’s important work with Planet Indonesia.

Dr Made Setiawan is LittlePod’s original vanilla farmer and the driving force behind the LittlePod collaborative orchard in Indonesia. Determined to resurrect his father’s long-abandoned vanilla farm in Bali, Made first approached LittlePod in 2012 and in the years that have followed, we have worked together together to establish our innovative orchard. Here, the LittlePod farmers use a pioneering system of polyculture to increase biodiversity, improve soil fertility, and regenerate the natural rainforest environment around them.

Peter Gorton is a Master Chef of Great Britain who loves to use LittlePod’s responsibly-sourced ingredients in his delicious dishes. Peter – a great advocate and ambassador for our Campaign for Real Vanilla – has represented LittlePod at food festivals and events across the UK. In 2022, Peter created the LittlePod Chef’s Collection that we’re proud to feature on our recipes page.

We first met Irine, the daughter of a subsistence farmer in Tanzania, during our trip to Moshi for the International Vanilla Symposium in 2019. LittlePod offered to fund Irine’s studies, supporting her to become a qualified Certified Public Accountant. Having graduated, Irine is now working an an Internal Auditor for the Tanzanian Government. She continues to keep us updated with all the latest news from her homeland and is proud to be called LittlePod’s Voice of Africa.