Vanilla is one of the most expensive ingredients in a pastry kitchen and one of the easiest to get wrong. Pods vary hugely in moisture and seed, “Tahitian” is not always from Tahiti, and the cheapest extract is often mostly vanillin. Whether you run a restaurant, a bakery or a production line, these are the questions worth asking any supplier, and how we answer them.
The short answer
Choose a supplier that can tell you exactly where each vanilla was grown, holds recognised food-safety certification, sends specification sheets on request, keeps stock in the UK, and offers the formats, minimums, credit terms and delivery your kitchen needs. Then ask for samples and compare them side by side.
What to ask, and our answers
| Question | Why it matters | Zazou Emporium |
|---|---|---|
| Where exactly is it grown? | Origin drives flavour; vague labels hide blends and substitutes. | Nine single origins, each named, from Madagascar to Taha’a. Tahitensis from PNG and Ecuador is labelled as such. |
| Is the supplier certified? | Your own audits and customers will ask for it. | SALSA certified; Fairtrade certified; halal-certified alcohol-free extract. |
| Can I see specifications? | You need allergens, shelf life and analytical data on file. | A specification for every product, sent on request. |
| Will it be the same every time? | A change in vanilla changes the finished product. | We always have stock in London, and each product is made to a written specification. |
| Which formats and sizes? | You should buy the format that suits the job, not the one that’s available. | Pods, extract, paste, powder, pearls and seeds, from retail packs to 18L jerrycans and 120kg barrels. |
| What are the terms? | Minimums and credit affect cash flow. | 250g minimum on pods and powder, one unit on everything else, 30 days from invoice. |
| How fast is delivery? | Running out mid-service costs more than vanilla. | Free next working day in London for orders by midnight; DHL two working days across the UK; Ireland and France too. |
Why direct sourcing matters
Most vanilla changes hands several times between the farm and the kitchen, and every hand adds cost and blurs the trail. We buy our Madagascar vanilla through a sustainable collective of around 7,000 farming families, and our Tahitian vanilla from one family grower on Taha’a and Raiatea.
That means we can tell a chef exactly where a pod came from, and we know how it was grown and cured. It is also why the same kitchens have bought from us for five to ten years.
Always ask for samples
No table replaces a side-by-side test. Split a pod from each supplier: a good Grade A bean is supple, oily and full of seeds, and smells rich rather than smoky or musty. For extract, read the label: it should say extract and list vanilla, not “flavouring” or vanillin.
We send samples of any origin or format to chefs and buyers before they order.
Supplier questions
What is the difference between a vanilla wholesaler and a vanilla importer?
An importer brings vanilla into the country from growers or exporters; a wholesaler may buy from importers and resell. Buying from a supplier that imports and sources directly usually means better traceability and fewer price mark-ups.
Do you supply manufacturers as well as restaurants?
Yes. We supply restaurants, hotels, bakeries, ice cream makers and food manufacturers, with formats up to 18-litre extract jerrycans and 120kg paste barrels.
Do you publish trade prices?
No. Trade prices depend on the origin, format and volume, so we quote them for your kitchen. Send us a note with what you use and we will come back the same day.
Where are you based?
Streatham, London SW16. We are online and delivery only, delivering across the UK and to Ireland and France.
For kitchens and production