Zazou Emporium was born from the creative passion and inspiration of husband and wife team, Vince and Sara Sullivan.

Vince began with a successful career in the music business. His trombone can be heard on several Haircut 100 tracks, those of Paul McCartney, Alison Moyet and The Pasadenas. He then moved on to work in his wife’s family restaurant and wholesale business, growing the business and finally selling it in 2008.

Come 2012, Vince and Sara began trading vanilla and that is where they are today. Life is now all about “the thrilla in vanilla”. Loving what they do, the people that they meet and the many different countries that they journey to, they now trade extensively within the UK.

When they began, their goal was to source and supply ethically sourced vanilla pods of the highest quality — and that is exactly what they are doing. Harry Sullivan is the latest addition to the team, heading up online sales and marketing.

Vanilla is still the passion. Flavour and aroma change with origin — Madagascar, Tahiti, Uganda, Papua New Guinea — the same orchid, then a completely different bean the moment you smell them side by side.

We work directly with the farmers and growers who raise and cure the beans. Then we take that range into kitchens, sitting with chefs and going through the varieties until one of them belongs in the pastry.