It is time to write the next chapter in the LittlePod story, but as we prepare to turn the page and start to tell our latest tale, it saddens us to report that we’ll have to do so without Paul’s trusty pen. Our long-serving Media Manager has been LittlePod’s storyteller-in-chief for more than 10 years, but having helped us to achieve so much since joining the team in 2015, a fresh challenge awaits. As he prepares to bid farewell to Farringdon, Paul agreed to write one final piece. These are his words.

I’m leaving LittlePod. It feels strange to be writing this, having been part of this amazing company for such a long time. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been here, doing this, for almost eleven years, having first joined Janet and her Campaign for Real Vanilla in the summer of 2015. That time has flown by, as it so always tends to do when you’re having fun. From the first day, it has been such a privilege and something I’ve enjoyed throughout. I’m sad to be leaving, of course, but I’m also immensely proud of all that we have achieved together. The time is right for me to make a change and do something different, but this decision hasn’t been easy. Far from it, in fact.

Education is one of LittlePod’s founding principles. I’ve learned a great deal in the time I’ve spent here. Like most people pre-LittlePod, I arrived here knowing little about vanilla, what it is and why it is so important. The knowledge and insight I have gained has had a big impact on me, changing how I think about the natural world and the lives of diverse and different people all over the planet. I’ve learned a lot about myself and acquired a huge range of skills. Just last month, I completed my L3 Apprenticeship in Multi-Channel Marketing, gaining a distinction in the process. This proved that LittlePod’s commitment to education remains as strong as ever. I’m so grateful to Janet for enabling me to do this.

There are countless highlights. It’s so hard to know where to start. I’ve always loved the variety. There aren’t many jobs in which you could be exchanging messages with a vanilla farmer in Indonesia, discussing recipes with a Michelin-starred chef, speaking to a COP30 delegate and writing an editorial feature for publication by Le Cordon Bleu – all before lunchtime! Everyone says it, but there’s no such thing as a typical day at LittlePod. There’s such satisfaction to be taken from knowing that everything that we do is making a difference, both to the planet and to the people in the Equatorial regions, whose commitment and dedication to the environment is often unseen and unappreciated. Meeting these people and witnessing their efforts? That is the highlight.

In 2023, I visited the LittlePod forest orchard in Bali. This was an unbelievable experience and an incredible opportunity. Travelling to Indonesia with Janet and Dave, I met Made 2 and the farmers whose pioneering polyculture system is doing so much to regenerate the rainforest. We sat together and talked – overcoming language barriers with shared purpose and mutual admiration – and it all just felt so easy. We drank tea, we laughed – a lot – and we walked in the forest, abundant in life, a once-barren land transformed thanks to LittlePod’s vision and support, and the farmers’ endeavour, expertise and determination to save the environment around them. It was the realisation of a dream for all involved, from Janet and Made to everyone who has contributed to a project that is truly life-changing. It was an honour to get to know these people and share in their success.

I’ve never met anyone like Janet. Her enthusiasm and energy; her drive and determination; her commitment to doing things correctly, leaving no stone unturned, no matter what it takes to bring her ideas to fruition; it’s impossible not to be inspired. LittlePod has come so far and achieved so much and sometimes I think we can take our successes for granted. LittlePod teams past and present – myself included – have contributed a great deal, for sure. But I think it’s important to take a step back and recognise that this is Janet’s vision, Janet’s quest and Janet’s success, and that, without Janet’s boundless commitment and creativity, none of this would have been possible. Even now, at the start of LittlePod’s 17^th year, Janet’s dynamism and resolve remain as strong and obvious as ever. I’ve learned so much from Janet. I’m proud to call her a mentor and a friend.

I’m leaving LittlePod with great knowledge and experience. Having arrived in Farringdon oblivious to vanilla’s value, I’ll be departing as a lifelong advocate – not just for vanilla, but for real and natural ingredients in general. My pre-LittlePod shopping habits were often founded in cost and convenience. What I’ve learned since 2015 is that even the small decisions I make here can make a big difference to people all over the world. Saving the endangered vanilla orchid – Janet’s original mission – is crucial, of course, and the environmental aspects are not to be underestimated. But seeing what it means to those at the other end of the chain – the farmers and their families and all whose livelihoods (and lives) are entwined with the health of the forests around them – has been truly enlightening. There was much talk about the importance of indigenous people at COP30. With all I’ve experienced here, I have got a new-found understanding of and respect for such communities.

We’ve achieved so much. Taking everything into consideration, it’s impossible not to take pride in what we’ve managed to do. I’m so proud to have helped LittlePod win the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2018 and the King’s Award for Enterprise in 2023. Be under no illusions, doing this is neither straightforward or easy. There have been other awards and accolades, and I’ve helped establish a thriving community of LittlePodders – ambassadors and advocates whose backing and support is crucial to our efforts. I’ve loved creating our calendars, developing International Real Vanilla Day, and making the LittlePod website multilingual and accessible to our customers all over the world. To help Janet write her second book – Real Vanilla: Nature’s Unsung Hero – was a real pleasure. This has brought our time together to a natural end; now it’s time for the next chapter for us both.

So what’s next? For me, pastures new, a fresh challenge and the chance to work on a project that I’ve long been passionate about. I’m married to a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, so young people’s mental health is something I care about deeply. We have been developing our own private practice and the time is now right for me to take a full-time role and enable us to provide even greater care and support to the increasing number of those who need it. This is a special task and one that means a great deal to me. I would not have left LittlePod for any other job. For LittlePod, meanwhile, it’s a new year and a new page in a story that is still being written, and with Janet brimming with new ideas (as always), the campaign continues. I leave with a kitchen cupboard well stocked with natural vanilla paste – my favourite – and nothing but gratitude, respect and admiration. I’ll remain a LittlePodder always and look forward to following and seeing what comes next.

Thank-you LittlePod, Janet and all the team. You’re very special and I’ll miss you all x