Vanilla Paradise Nevis is the first vanilla farm in St Kitts and Nevis using only Nevisian vanilla orchids and was founded by Gina Empson in 2023. The farm uses locally sourced materials as part of its sustainability model; from the dried coconut husks, mango leaves and hard wood posts locally sourced, to collected rain water.

During flowering season, their small but dedicated team of staff, hand-pollinate the vanilla orchids during a narrow window in which pollen is transferred with a bamboo toothpick. This is a demanding, precise process requiring a huge amount of patience. This delicate process will then determine whether a flower will develop into a vanilla bean nine months later.

Cultivating premium vanilla is a meticulous process and currently, Gina and her team are nurturing over 5,000 vanilla vines across their five shade houses. They will shortly be opening a vanilla processing plant and cafe. Further information can be found on their website here.