A New Zealand and Tongan registered company Heilala Vanilla is helping to revive Tonga’s vanilla industry, producing award-winning vanilla products that have successfully found sales in overseas markets.

“Personally my vision is to make Heilala Vanilla to Tonga what Fiji Water was to Fiji” stated Jennifer Boggis, the Director and co-founder of Heilala Vanilla. The company grows its vanilla beans in Vava‘u.

“Last year, 2013, we exported over four tonnes of dried vanilla beans (20 tonne of green vanilla beans) from Tonga to Heilala Vanilla New Zealand and we now partner with a group of growers in Tonga to support our growing markets,” she said.

Last month, the company's new factory was officially opened in the New Zealand port city of Tauranga by the city’s mayor Ross Paterson, and the visiting Governor of Vava‘u, Lord Fulivai.

 “The factory provides for increased capacity in manufacturing all our existing product range - vanilla extract, paste, syrup and sugar,” said Jennifer. “Our export markets include Australia, Japan, Singapore, Brazil, Denmark and the USA.”

According to Jennifer, “Heilala Vanilla has won many food awards in New Zealand, Australia and most recently USA, so we have validation of our product quality. Last year we won the Deloitte Fast 50 fastest growing exporter and manufacturing for the Central region in New Zealand, which is based on sales revenue growth over the last three years.”

The Heilala Vanilla Company in Tonga started in 2002 with the establishment of a plantation in Vava‘u by Kiwi horticulturalist, John Ross. Jennifer explained they have two registered companies, “One is a Tongan registered company which is privately owned by my father, John Ross. Heilala Vanilla NZ is a privately owned company which my parents, my husband and I are the majority shareholders.

They aim for Heilala Vanilla to be a globally recognised premium vanilla brand.