small but mighty.
contents 03 what’s the story? 05 vanilla range 07 chocolate and coffee ranges 08 what people are saying 09 international real vanilla day 11 bonus recipe
welcome!
Here at LittlePod, we have provided high-quality ingredients to home cooks, professional chefs and food manufacturers since 2010. Nestled amongst the beautiful rolling hills of East Devon, we are here to tell the story of real vanilla.
LittlePod’s responsibly-sourced product range includes our innovative easy-to-use natural vanilla paste and organic vanilla pods, as well as our extracts of vanilla, coffee and chocolate. These ingredients not only support each other in the rainforest but are also perfect flavour partners in the kitchen.
During the last decade, LittlePod has earned international renown for its commitment to quality, innovation, education and sustainability, winning The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development in 2018. Our most recent achievement was gaining the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. LittlePod has also received many other awards such as the ‘Made in Devon’ kitemark, certified by Trading Standards as part of the national “Buy With Confidence” scheme. Like to find out more about LittlePod’s Campaign for Real Vanilla? Please read on...
Vanilla hugs from Janet Sawyer MBE BEM, Managing Director, on behalf of the LittlePod Team
02
what’s the story?
Fascinated with vanilla, aka Black Gold, and its unique history, LittlePod’s founder, Janet Sawyer MBE BEM, sought to discover why its future hung in the balance. She found that 97% of vanillin used in the West is artificial, that real vanilla could be lost within a generation and that consumers themselves had lost touch with this magical ingredient.
Founded in 2010, the company resolved to highlight vanilla’s value to the world. More than a decade later our passion for giving it a voice remains undimmed. Our Campaign for Real Vanilla has touched chefs and home cooks around the globe and fostered a family of LittlePodders!
We developed the first real vanilla paste in a tube, established our collaborative orchard in Indonesia and have won numerous accolades, including the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, the most prestigious business accolade in the UK.
Janet was commissioned to write an informative cookbook which we have taken to shows and exhibitions explaining the plight of vanilla farmers, people we can rely on for rainforest regeneration. Join our #CampaignForRealVanilla and safeguard real vanilla for the next generation.
2023 LittlePod wins the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development
2020 The LittlePod story goes to Japan and National Real Vanilla Day becomes International Real Vanilla Day.
2018 LittlePod wins the Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Sustainable Development) and is awarded the Board of Trade Award for Exporting.
2014 Launch of National Real Vanilla Day on October 17th. Launch of the LittlePod cookbook: “Vanilla – Cooking with one of the world’s finest ingredients.”
2010 LittlePod launches in East Devon, supporting farmers and communities in the Equatorial regions.
did you know?
The delicate vanilla orchid only flowers for one day every season and is hand-pollinated.
L i t t l ePodfounderJanetwith Prince Charlesin2018 story? 04
top of the pods
LittlePod’s natural vanilla paste has been hailed as an ‘evolution for the kitchen’ – no more slitting and scraping vanilla pods.
Vanilla paste in a tube means:
• Less wastage
• Less flavour bake-off
• Versatile for any recipe
• Equivalent to 20 vanilla pods, 5ml tsp = 1 pod
• Easy to use, portion control, recyclable... the list goes on!
pure bourbon vanilla extract This natural extract provides Madagascan organic vanilla pods These high-grade, natural Madagascan bourbon vanilla pods are plump, moist and full of fruity, floral notes. 06 Need more? Why not try our trade sizes. Give us a call 01395 232022.
sweet dreams are made of these...
organic coffee extract
LittlePod’s organic coffee extract is made using the highest quality beans from Colombia. These intense beans create a wonderfully rich extract, which is a perfect ingredient in cakes and pastries.
pure chocolate extract
Our intense chocolate extract is made using cocoa beans from the Ivory Coast. More versatile as a liquid than cocoa powder with no added sugar, feel free to sprinkle it generously in your cooking.
don’t take our word for it...
“Convenience, quality and affordability combined…it’s a no-brainer.”
The Holistic Chef, Jamie Raftery participated online in our celebrations for International Real Vanilla Day 2021 from his Cookery School in Thailand. He has been using LittlePod products for over a decade.
“LittlePod’s vanilla paste and extract are my favourites! These really are fantastic products.”
Cherry Blossom Bespoke Bakery.
“At the Exploding Bakery we love LittlePod vanilla paste, it gives our cakes powerful flavour and that distinctive aroma, which you can only get from vanilla paste.”
Oliver and Tom, founders of The Exploding Bakery.
201 2018 08
international real vanilla day!
A delicate orchid sits at the heart of LittlePod. It might appear small and insignificant, yet this precious flower, having been hand-pollinated, gives birth to an exotic and intoxicating edible: a vanilla pod. Once prized by the ancient Aztecs as a powerful medicine, vanilla was combined with chocolate and known as the ‘drink of the gods’. Modern scientists believe vanilla contains a compound that can stave off sugar cravings. Yet this magical ingredient is under threat.
When Janet first met Patricia Rain, a sustainability expert known as The Vanilla Queen, she was warned that ‘we’re on the precipice where we could lose real vanilla within a generation if we don’t act now.’
Immediate action was needed and LittlePod was born with three clear aims: to educate people about vanilla; to discover innovative ways of using vanilla; and to support farmers in vanilla-growing regions.
More than a decade later, the most important date on the LittlePod calendar is International Real Vanilla Day, October 17th.
Year on year vanilla has revealed further secrets and, at a time when the need for action on climate change is so pressing, this orchid has shown itself to be a vital canopy plant and a viable commodity for the regeneration of rainforests.
save the date!
October 17th is International Real Vanilla Day. Check out our Instagram to get involved!
@little_pod
DYK that 97% of all the vanillin sold in the West is artificial? We’re working hard to change that! #CampaignForRealVanilla
Vanilla isn’t just for cakes – it brings out the flavours in savoury recipes too. Try adding it to your next salad dressing.
#RecipeInspiration
We hate waste, why not try using your empty extract bottle as a room freshener? The vanilla will absorb any kitchen smells. #ReuseRecycle
10
time to bake!
Vanilla is such a versatile ingredient, but we’re still drawn to the classics... with a twist of course. Try our deliciously moist elderflower and almond cake, the lemon zest adds a certain zing.
80g self raising flour
1tsp baking powder
170g ground almonds
225g butter, softened
240g golden caster sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 eggs, lightly beaten
160ml elderflower cordial
150ml mascarpone
150ml double cream
1tsp LittlePod natural vanilla paste handful of chopped pistachios
Grease and line a 23cm cake tin. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF/Gas 4). Mix together flour, baking powder and almonds. In a separate bowl, cream butter, 225g of the sugar and zest until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs one at a time until fully combined. Quickly beat in the flour mixture, then spoon into cake tin. Smooth top and bake for 40-45min, or until risen and golden.
While the cake is baking, combine 100ml of elderflower cordial with lemon juice and remaining sugar. Remove cake from oven, then prick all over and sprinkle syrup over the surface. Leave to cool in tin, then remove.
Put the mascarpone in a bowl with remaining elderflower cordial and whisk until smooth. Add the cream and vanilla paste and whisk again. Spread the icing over the top of cooled cake and scatter with chopped pistachios.
For more recipes and to shop the range, visit littlepod.co.uk
