Ever since meeting Janet in 2011, Frances Ma has been spearheading LittlePod’s Campaign for Real Vanilla in Hong Kong. Reunited in Japan last month, Janet and Frances reflected on their past successes before turning their attentions to the future and hatching a plan to introduce LittlePod’s products to China. Keen to find out more, Paul this week gave our distributor in Hong Kong a call. These are her words:

It has been 13 years since I first learnt about LittlePod and met Janet in London. Since then she has become a dear friend, a mentor and someone I respect and admire. Since we first met in 2011, Janet has taken LittlePod to another level and done great work supporting vanilla farming communities around the world. She has achieved amazing things and I’m proud to be part of the LittlePod family. The wonderful accolades Janet and LittlePod have achieved are incredible. I’m in awe just thinking about it. To call Janet my mentor and dear friend is truly special.

I’m proud to spread the word and support LittlePod’s Campaign for Real Vanilla in Hong Kong. Underlining the importance of keeping it REAL has always been the main focus and I’m starting to see a shift here. There is greater interest in LittlePod’s natural vanilla paste and more people are using real vanilla in Hong Kong, whether that’s boutique bakeries or home cooks. Unfortunately, the chains and larger bakeries do still tend to use artificial vanillin because it’s cheaper. Hong Kong properties are amongst the most expensive in the world. This means that people have to pinch the pennies wherever possible in order to cover the extraordinarily high rents that must be paid to live in the prime locations.

There is still much work to be done but the message is getting through and the signs are encouraging. There are many nice shops that use real vanilla in their high-end products here and we will not stop spreading the word. Vanilla in Hong Kong tends just to be used in desserts, although I hope this will change. We need more people to use vanilla in their everyday cooking to better support the vanilla farmers. The shortbread from Janet’s Vanilla cookbook is my go-to recipe, but I’m experimenting and using vanilla in more savoury dishes. Recently, I’ve found that vanilla works well with fish and seafood. This is a message that I’m trying to get across to more people.

I’ve been selling just one LittlePod product – natural vanilla paste – for all this time, but that’s about to change. The vanilla paste is so popular and has been well received here in Hong Kong. But there are some chefs who are a little more traditional and I’m excited to be introducing LittlePod’s Madagascan, Tahitian and Indonesian vanilla pods to Hong Kong. This will help to spread the message even further and underline the importance of supporting the vanilla farmers. This is something that Janet has championed for years through LittlePod’s work with Made and the farmers in Bali. Ever since I first heard about this project, I’ve been excited and waiting for these extra special vanilla pods to be ready.

It’s such a joy to see the Indonesian vanilla pods from the LittlePod orchard in Bali. This is the result of all the farmers’ hard work and all the passion that has driven this labour of love. In supporting this project, we are giving something back to the farming communities. This encourages them to continue to farm sustainably, creating a better environment for generations to come. What is better than that? LittlePod is helping to save the planet and getting involved in the Campaign for Real Vanilla is a no-brainer. We must keep doing this important work to ensure that the rainforests survive for future generations to enjoy.

I’ve loved LittlePod’s Campaign for Real Vanilla ever since I first heard about it in 2011. Janet told me back then that people didn’t understand vanilla’s importance and I’ve been learning ever since. People just don’t know enough about real vanilla, sustainable farming and the impact that these things have upon the planet. That’s the case all over the world, not just here in Hong Kong. The importance of saying “no” to artificial vanillin and converting people to REAL vanilla in Hong Kong and all over the world is something that we’re all trying to do.

LittlePod’s natural vanilla paste resonates with consumers in the Far East because it is such high quality. It is convenient to use. The tube has a cool, clean and elegant design. It is simple, yet it is natural and real. That is the most important part. Everyone at LittlePod is so passionate about their products and this makes people feel personally connected. This isn’t just another product from off the shelf. It’s the human effect. It’s how we can all connect through our shared love of REAL vanilla in Hong Kong and beyond. This is what LittlePod does so well.

It meant the world to me to see Janet again – and in Japan too! I found it quite emotional. We have kept in contact over the years, talking not just about work, but about our families and, of course, the dark days of the pandemic. It felt as though we had seen each other recently, but of course we have not. Janet is as fantastic as ever – or maybe even more so! We spent the day chatting and catching up, we walked around the Tokyo Tower area and then we had dinner and a lovely time together. The food and the ambience were great, but sharing this time with Janet was even greater. I shall treasure this forever. Thank-you Janet.

We talked a lot about the past, but our focus now is on the future for LittlePod in the Far East. For me, the next project is to move into China, which is exciting. China is an emerging market that has many bakeries that are far more westernised in terms of their cakes, desserts and drinks. This will be an excellent opportunity for us to strengthen our Campaign for Real Vanilla in the Far East and to recruit a new generation of Chinese LittlePodders! It will be a challenge, but I’m up for it. I just hope it doesn’t keep me too busy as I’m hoping to visit Janet and the team at LittlePod HQ in the very near future!

From the team here in East Devon, we send vanilla hugs to Frances to all our LittlePodders in Hong Kong and beyond! Thank-you Frances, we look forward to welcoming you back to LittlePod HQ soon x