Latest news with #vanilla
CNA
4 days ago
- Business
- CNA
How these vanilla farmers in Singapore took their plants from HDB corridors to luxury hotels
At first glance, the small garden beside Ascent at Science Park may seem modest, but beyond its understated facade lies one of Singapore's most unexpected luxuries: Homegrown vanilla; rare and quietly remarkable crops cultivated with precision and care by Mireia Vanilla Singapore. Helmed by founders Charles Santoso, 46, and his wife Juwita Maha Ranni Setiawan, 42, the couple have been running the business since 2019. It is the only company in Singapore that manages the entire vanilla journey end-to-end – from growing and harvesting raw green vanilla pods, to curing and processing them into vanilla beans, and supplying directly to chefs, retailers, and consumers. Today, they operate several vanilla farms across Singapore, including plots at Gardens by the Bay and within the grounds of luxury hotels such as The Fullerton Hotel, Four Seasons, and Conrad – where chefs harvest the beans fresh for their farm-to-table menus. Apart from hotels, Mireia also supplies organic vanilla to restaurants such as Ce La Vi and Atout to be used in pastries, desserts, drinks, and cocktails. They also sell a myriad of organic vanilla products, ranging from the vanilla beans themselves, to vanilla matcha and vanilla-infused coffee and tea. What started as a S$100 (US$79) company and an experiment with 10 vanilla vines at their HDB corridor in Tampines has now grown into a company worth several million dollars, with over 3,500 plants. Santoso and Setiawan tell CNA Luxury about their six year journey with Mireia. HOW MIREIA STARTED 'It all started because of my wife,' Santoso said. 'She spent over a decade in Europe studying at the Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland, one of the world's leading hospitality schools, and later managing a hotel.' There, immersed in Europe's rich culinary culture and high standards of luxury hospitality, Setiawan was introduced to Grade A vanilla beans through her coursework and interactions with top chefs and restaurateurs. 'She fell in love with this beautiful ingredient and its story,' he said. 'That spark stayed with her long after she returned home." Originally from Indonesia, the couple migrated to Singapore in 2015. 'But when we first came here, we couldn't find really good vanilla,' Setiawan said. 'We noticed a lot of Singaporeans will go to the supermarket, buy vanilla products with a lot of chemicals, and give it to their kids.' The couple, who share two sons aged six and 10, said that while their children were avid fans of vanilla ice cream, they often worried about the potential health effects of consuming too much artificial food. 'We love natural ingredients,' Santoso added. 'So when my wife came back to Singapore, she had the idea of growing our own vanilla plants.' 'We were initially thinking about bringing awareness about organic vanilla to Singapore; that we can grow our own, which is great for health, especially for kids who may love desserts,' he added. But with an education background in real estate and finance respectively, Santoso and Setiawan had no prior knowledge on agriculture. 'Everything I've learned has come from a place of curiosity and passion. I picked things up through a lot of self-learning – reading books, watching videos, and spending countless hours researching and experimenting.' For Santoso and Setiawan, much of their knowledge was also gained through the mentorship and guidance of fellow farmers. The first farmer they met was through a friend of theirs in the coffee industry who knew about vanilla farmers in Indonesia that owned plantations. When they visited him in Indonesia, he demonstrated to the couple how to grow vanilla, from the exact soil mixture to the processing of the pods. Over time through social media, Santoso and Setiawan were also introduced to a global network of vanilla farmers, including those from Hawaii, Myanmar, Madagascar and even Bora Bora, where they exchanged knowledge such as how to crossbreed vanilla varieties in Singapore to get new flavour notes. Currently at their Science Park site, which is their biggest plantation in Singapore, Mireia grows five varieties of vanilla: Planifolias, tahitians, pomponas, odoratas and aphyllas. 'Since vanilla was something we learnt how to grow naturally and process, both of us thought, why not start a business with it,' Santoso said. EDUCATING THE PUBLIC 'When we first started planting, people would ask, 'Why is your vanilla black and not white?'' Santoso recalled, explaining that many assumed vanilla was white – a misconception due to the appearance of artificial vanilla. 'That's why we did workshops for people to share our knowledge and let them taste and see, which is real and fake vanilla,' he said. 'In fact, not many people know that artificial vanilla is actually made from petroleum or cow dung." 'Artificial vanilla usually has only one flavour note, which is sweet. But for real vanilla, there are 250 notes,' he explained. 'So people are confused when they eat the vanilla, they say 'Charles, did you add ginger or cinnamon?', but no it's just the natural vanilla flavour notes.' 'The artificial vanilla flavour is very strong,' Setiawan added. 'The real one is more blended, it's very smooth.' STARTING OUT Their first vanilla seed was planted at the corridor of their HDB flat in Tampines, where they started growing a simple 10 vines. As their mini garden flourished, the pair wanted to grow more vanilla plants, but space was becoming a concern. 'The rental (for land) here is very expensive,' Santoso lamented. 'Actually, vanilla plants don't occupy as big a space as vegetables do, but even finding a smaller space in Singapore is quite difficult; it's one of the biggest chunk of costs that every business in Singapore faces.' Due to the unique climate in Singapore, they also had to learn how to tailor their agriculture techniques on their own. 'Even the farmers we talk to from places like Indonesia or Madagascar were also not sure how to care for vanilla in Singapore because the soil, weather, and humidity are all different,' Santoso said. 'For instance we have to get the soil mixture right for the plants to grow,' Setiawan explained. 'Singapore soil is more clayish. Because in Singapore, to make the island bigger, they landfill the area. So most of the soil is not very good for plants.' 'We had to experiment and mix the soil to see what works,' Santoso added. It was only after two to three years of trial and error did they solidify their processes. Santoso explained that it takes eight years for a vanilla plant to grow from the seed. To shorten the time taken, he cuts the plant till its stem to harvest the fully grown vanilla pod to make way for the plant to grow more vanilla. But even after doing so, it still would take four to five years to harvest the vanilla pods. 'That's why the price for vanilla is not cheap, because it takes a long time to grow,' Setiawan said. 'It's labour and time intensive.' He explained that this long duration makes finding a space to grow plants difficult as well, as some vacant places only offer a two to three year contract, which is insufficient for them. 'This is why thankfully, we have solutions from the hotels, restaurants and institutions, who support us and give us space, for example in their empty garden,' Santoso said. SECURING THEIR PROJECT SITES The couple began to reap the fruits of their labour when they secured a project site at Gardens by the Bay in 2021. 'At the time they were having their 10-year anniversary for their collaboration with the Mexican embassy," Santoso said. 'So the Mexican embassy was also suggesting to Gardens by the Bay that they should have vanilla plants there,' he continued, explaining that vanilla historically originated from Mexico. Gardens by the Bay then reached out to Mireia, asking if they could support the garden with their vanilla plants. 'It's more for knowledge purposes; to see what the actual vanilla plants look like,' he said, adding that they now have two project sites there, including one at the Flower Dome. 'We should be proud that we have our own vanilla here in Singapore, that we can pollinate them ourselves and that everything is natural.' Shortly after in 2022, a pop up market Mireia hosted at Henderson Road caught the attention of an F&B director from luxury hotel Shangri-La and offered to house their plants in their herb garden. 'They wanted to have a farm to table concept for their restaurant,' he said. 'Our plants are still there until now.' Thereafter, more hotels like the Four Seasons, Fairmont and Fullerton reached out in 2023 and 2024, wanting to house their vanilla plants in their gardens. 'We're also a member of the hotel associations,' Santoso added. 'For us we don't really advertise, it's mostly through word of mouth; when we open a booth for instance in Sentosa, maybe the chef or manager comes and gets to know about us.' These hotels often use Mireia's organic vanilla in pastries, cocktails, and cooking. They sometimes use their vanilla coffee and tea products in their drinks. 'Actually vanilla is a basic flavour that can be used for anything; our clients even use it for dog food, and making candles and soaps,' Santoso revealed. He added that some hotel restaurants like Fairmont and Four Seasons have even used vanilla beans in their main courses, like roast lamb or duck. 'They use it to make the dish more fusion style,' Setiawan said. 'They would swap out the rosemary used to roast beef for vanilla instead to give the meat a subtle vanilla taste or fragrance.' 'It also makes it more premium and enhances the flavour profile,' she added. 'It's something more creative.' More recently, Mireia also collaborated with Conrad Singapore Marina Bay hotel for an afternoon tea set called La Vanilla. Available from now till Jul 31, the set features both savoury and sweet treats that use Mireia's vanilla. Some dishes include the Tempura Mushrooms and Vanilla Essence with a shoyu-vanilla dip, the Seared Scallop with mango-jalapeno salsa and vanilla espuma, the Matcha Vanilla Sonata which uses Mireia's vanilla matcha, and the Vanilla Peach Tart. Apart from using vanilla in the restaurant dishes, some hotels have come up with other ways to experiment and raise awareness on farm to table concepts. In May 2025, Mireia held an event at The Fullerton Hotel where they brought their vanilla plants, green vanilla, and vanilla pods to showcase to their visitors. The chef then used the vanilla on the spot, mixing it into their desserts like ice cream. 'This event really allowed people to see what vanilla plants look like and learn what green vanilla is,' Santoso explained. 'Because green vanilla is quite difficult to get since it's only available during harvesting time, which happens to be in April and May.' 'It's really nice that they are supporting us.' At times, hotel chefs also invite the couple to their restaurant, hoping they can share their knowledge of vanilla and help them with their cooking. 'When they don't know where this vanilla comes from or whether it's good or not, they will come to us for help,' he said. Santoso added that they also often have chefs and customers telling them that they can taste the difference in their organic vanilla. 'That kind of feedback makes every early morning and late night worth it,' he said. CHALLENGES RUNNING A TWO MAN SHOW Every day, Santoso and Setiawan make their rounds to project sites across the island, which makes for a rather demanding routine, especially under the hot sun. 'Usually we will check if there are any rotten stems, because the stems need to have a certain kind of thickness for it to grow nicely,' Santoso said about his visits to the plantations. 'We will also take out the weeds and adjust the stems to ensure they don't break because they are very fragile. Once the stems break, we'll have to start the whole plant all over again, so we'll need to keep checking and making sure the stem is protected.' In the beginning, when the couple had no background in agriculture, they said that everything came with a learning curve. 'Figuring out how to grow, cure, and process vanilla in Singapore's climate required endless trial and error,' Santoso explained. 'There were seasons where the vines didn't flower or when we lost pods after months of hard work.' 'We bootstrapped everything financially, so there were moments of doubt and stress, wondering if we were doing the right thing. Also, because vanilla takes years to grow and cure, it tested our patience and perseverance on a deep level,' Santoso added. Santoso and Setiawan however, are the only people in the Mireia team, along with a few volunteers who help out occasionally. 'It's challenging to find people who want to volunteer and help us,' Setiawan shared. 'There's not really enough interest in agriculture in Singapore. People here prefer city landscapes.' 'The cost of labour is also very expensive and people want very high salaries,' Santoso said. 'They rather work a white collar job as opposed to getting their hands dirty picking up weeds.' 'But through every up and down, we've stayed grounded in our purpose –creating something pure, honest, and beautiful from nature, with our own hands,' he added. WHAT'S NEXT FOR MIREIA Apart from searching for more clients, the couple said that they are currently looking for a centre to process their vanilla pods, vanilla coffee and tea either in Singapore or overseas. 'We also hope to attract tourists to come to Singapore by showing them we can process vanilla from start to finish,' Setiawan said. 'I think in Asia, not many people really can do end-to-end vanilla production,' she added. 'In countries like Indonesia and Madagascar, there are a lot of people who grow, but outsource their processing.' The couple shared that they are also keeping an eye out for new clients and have noticed Singapore does in fact have spaces for plantations. 'Some are quite abandoned; like at schools, hospitals and warehouses. There's still a lot of space that is not used optimally that maybe nobody knows how to use,' Santoso said. 'I think there is also consensus that Singapore is not a very agricultural place so people tend to think products from overseas have better quality,' Setiawan added. 'We are here to support the country, we don't want Singapore to keep depending on others for resources,' she explained. 'I think Singapore needs to be proud of locally grown produce.' When asked about urban farmers in Singapore, Setiawan said: 'Based on our experience, we need to have a lot of support from the government and other parties.' 'We're really thankful that we get support from the hotels, or institutions that really know how hard it is to have a farm like us,' she added. 'When they know our story, about how genuine we are and they want to support and help us, it's really a blessing.'
New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Richly Imagined New Historical Fiction
Sing to Me Ever since their exploits were recorded in Homeric Greek, the warriors of the 'Iliad' have been fixtures of our cultural heritage. But in his latest novel, Browner prefers to focus on the unknown lives that were lost on the fringes of the Trojan War, on the damage years of fighting left behind. SING TO ME (Little, Brown, 213 pp., $28) takes place in an apocalyptic landscape of scorched fields and abandoned villages. Its hero is an 11-year-old boy who finds himself alone on the family farm with only a donkey for company. Setting off in search of his father and 6-year-old sister, long overdue after a desperate trek to the markets of the nearby city, Hani heads for 'the road everyone takes before they don't come back.' What he finds at its end is a vast smoldering ruin, abandoned by both its defenders and its attackers — except for one severely wounded Greek. An innocent confronted with unspeakable destruction, Hani struggles to understand what the future holds and what his place in it might look like. 'Now,' he thinks to himself, 'the only combatants left are a dying soldier and a boy with a sling. Is this what people mean when they talk about peace? Maybe peace is just war taking a rest.' The Rarest Fruit The island of Réunion, a French territory off the east coast of Africa, is known for its vanilla. Less well known is the story of the illiterate enslaved boy who figured out how to hand-pollinate vanilla orchids, allowing the wider world to experience a flavor that had been lost since the 16th century, when the Aztec empire was destroyed by the Spanish. Edmond Albius made his discovery in 1841, when he was only 12 years old. It was, as Bélem notes in THE RAREST FRUIT (Europa, 189 pp., $24), just one act in the 'tragicomedy' of a Black child adopted, then exploited, abandoned and finally rescued in adulthood by the white planter whose horticultural knowledge he absorbed without benefit of formal schooling. Told he must be content with toiling as a gardener rather than studying to be a botanist, Edmond 'makes do with what he has and what people deign to give him.' Translated from the French by Hildegarde Serle, Bélem's fictional account of Edmond's experiences is also an ironic portrait of a society in which the official abolition of slavery does little to improve the lives of the formerly enslaved: 'They were running toward freedom as if plowing headlong into a wall, Edmond first among them.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Malay Mail
21-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
From social work to sweet success: Sarawak's accidental vanilla farmer Alfred Phua cultivates second chances
KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Alfred Phua never planned to be a farmer. A social worker by heart and profession, he had spent decades working with marginalised communities across Malaysia, from the urban poor to the rural indigenous. Today, he is the co-founder of Vanilla Impact Story Sdn Bhd (VIS), a social enterprise planting hope — quite literally — through vanilla. 'Venturing into vanilla cultivation started a journey I never planned. I call myself an accidental farmer — because I'm not a farmer. 'I was a social worker for 35 years, working with the poor and marginalised communities. But over time, this grew into something more,' Phua said during an interview with Malay Mail. He eventually left the non-governmental organisation (NGO), but even after his departure from the NGO, single mothers and persons with disabilities went to him for jobs. 'So I took up a course on mushroom cultivation so that I could teach this group of people how to grow oyster mushrooms. 'Because it was very hard to dispose mushroom waste, it was through that I discovered how to make vermicompost — a type of compost made from mushroom waste. 'Then a friend told me that the orchids thrive on vermicompost and the vanilla plant is a type of orchid. That's how it all started,' Phua said. Phua had spent 20 years in Penang, and before returning to his homeland in Sarawak, he took on one final project — helping local youths set up a vanilla farm. In 2018, he planted his first vanilla vines as a hobby and it was only in 2022 that Phua started seriously cultivating the tahitensis variety, known for its rich aroma and premium quality. Two years later, in 2024, with initial support from Yayasan Hasanah, VIS received 1,500 vanilla cuttings and is now preparing its first full harvest of gourmet-grade vanilla beans. Alfred Phua had spent 20 years in Penang, and before returning to his homeland in Sarawak, he took on one final project — helping local youths set up a vanilla farm. — Picture courtesy of Yayasan Hasanah Stumbling on the vanilla plant Malaysia, according to Phua, has suitable climate and is a huge untapped potential in this field. Describing the vanilla plant, he said it is a hardy plant, a climbing orchid and it does not need soil. It absorbs nutrients through its air roots so it can even be grown on cement. 'Our climate is like Madagascar, Mexico, and the Pacific Islands, maybe even better because we don't have typhoons or earthquakes. 'We started in Permatang Pauh, Penang, as I knew some of the youths since they were kids and many came from dysfunctional families. 'I asked them to come to Sarawak, but they felt it was too foreign. Instead, they applied for state land and got it. So I went to Penang to help them set up the farm,' Phua said. Vanilla halfway farms VIS now has five full-time workers, many of whom come from difficult backgrounds, including former drug offenders and at-risk youth. Phua however is not only focused on just farming, thus he created 'halfway farms' that covers both his social work and vanilla cultivation. 'My goal is not just to do farming. Because I'm a social worker, I want to use this as a way to help neglected youths who come from poor and marginalised communities. 'One of the groups that I worked with were drug users and my wish is to train them to become agripreneurs, not only the current interns that I have but the native people in Sarawak too. 'They are actually better farmers but they may lack the skill of entrepreneurship, so my dream is to start a school of experiential — hands on entrepreneurship school for the young people — how to lure them back to the farm, because to many of them, farming is hard, but now with modern farming it's different,' he said. Vanilla bean cultivation farmer, Alfred Phua speaks during an interview with Malay Mail in Kuala Lumpur, May 22, 2025. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa Phua's halfway farm initially started with cash crops such as organic vegetables, but planting vegetable was hard work, he said. 'I'm not good with vegetables, and because the owner of the farm is very generous — he bought 20 units of green house — and learned about vanilla. 'So after we did a pilot project in 2022, it was doing well and then he decided he wanted to become my business partner. 'That's how Yayasan Hasanah came in and chipped in the seed money, with that small fund we got workers like the troubled youths to work with us,' he said. Moving forward with vanilla After Phua took a business approach with vanilla cultivation, he has since been processing the tahitensis vanilla variant into Grade A gourmet beans. 'Not many people in Malaysia know how to use these beans, so we also make extracts, coffee and even perfume. 'Malaysia has a huge F&B (food and beverages) manufacturing industry that consumes vanilla, but they mostly import from Indonesia, but Indonesia doesn't grow tahitensis. 'Five years ago, we sent samples to Japan. One of the biggest importers of spices was interested in our vanilla beans and wanted to test 20kgs,' he said. He however said while the potential for vanilla in Malaysia is huge, it is a long journey before the locally cultivated beans can be categorised as export simply because it is not a plant that is native to Malaysia. 'We are working on this. Vanilla was brought into Malaysia in the 1980s. But back then no one knew how to grow vanilla and no one knew how to cure the beans. 'It only picked up again in the last five years — when there are hobbyists like me. 'Can Malaysians buy from us now? Yes. Though our farm just started three years ago, our tahitensis vines flowered in record time — 20 months instead of 36. 'We'll harvest our first batch of beans soon. Export will take years due to compliance issues, so for now, we're selling locally,' Phua added. One day, Phua hopes to see his dream come true — selling his vanilla beans under the Simply Borneo brand, with the tagline: simple, fresh and wholesome
The Guardian
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Sali Hughes on beauty: summer vibes in a bottle – the best suntan-themed fragrances
Suntan fragrances hark back to more innocent times, when factor 8, 6 – or even 2! – oil seemed like a perfectly responsible course of action for a Brit on a fortnight's Teletext holiday to Crete. Modern tributes draw on common olfactory themes in retro tanning oils, from warm vanilla and coconut to salt, citrus fruits, sexy amber and tropical flowers such as tiaré and frangipani. My favourites of the genre are either affordable or at least relatively inexpensive, because while I'm disgruntled by many fragrance prices these days, there's something particularly offensive about a three-figure scent got up to smell like Ambre Solaire. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. In case I haven't already raved enough about French pharmacy perfumers Roger & Gallet, here's more. Vanille Soleil (£20 for 30ml), is the latest in the lineup and continues their tradition for considered, high-quality and very wearable scents at an excellent price point. What we have here is a comforting, only delicately sweet vanilla, warm, mellow amber and a gentle blend of jasmine and ylang-ylang. A crunch of sea salt enlivens the whole thing. This is a sunny, cheerful and charming scent that can be spritzed on lavishly without guilt or fear of offending. The most famous, and perhaps unbeatable tribute to suntan lotion is Estée Lauder's Bronze Goddess Eau Fraîche Skinscent (£58 for 50ml) – not to be confused with the eau de parfum, very different and not as lovely. Also check out their newer Bronze Goddess Nuit (£70 for 50ml), which adds an almost creamy, woody note and more musk to the beauty of the original. If you like the original, I think you'll appreciate this sexier night-time version. Cos's new fragrance line is strong and Solaire is a highlight (don't be repelled by the £75 price – the 100ml bottle is two or three times the typical size). Less Bounty ice-cream, more spiced rum and driftwood, its holiday sun-lounger glow still shines through. It also lasts terrifically well for a high-street scent. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Nivea Sun (£31.60 for 30ml), is the wonderful smell of Nivea sun lotion spray-bottled, and it's addictive. It works alone, but also layers very nicely under something punchier, and gives a powdery, inviting feel. Demeter's Fragrance Library is a vast selection of deliberately literal fragrances mimicking beloved smells (dirt, baby powder, glue and petrichor – that earthy smell you get when rain falls on dry ground – are all exactly as you'd hope). Their Suntan Lotion (£19 for 1oz) smells specifically of the old Coppertone lotion rather than coconutty Hawaiian Tropic, so if you're clucking for a whiff of 1970s mum, do proceed to checkout.
Time Out Dubai
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time Out Dubai
Apollo Dubai is now open on Palm Jumeirah
Hold onto your hats (and your appetites), because the team behind your favourite Jumeirah spots like Rascals Deli, Za Za Slice and Dime Burger, have just dropped a new restaurant in Palm Jumeirah. Say hello to Apollo, a new all-day bistro that's set to redefine comfort food with a serious dose of swagger. Apollo's menu reimagines comfort classics with a contemporary approach. Highlights from the bar bites include duck arayes and French onion croquettes, while the raw plates include a ceviche classico and beef tartare with soy-cured egg yolk. Main courses feature homey dishes like a chicken pot pie and duck confit with arroz nikkei, alongside options like the Apollo burger with dry-aged wagyu and lobster roll. Dessert selections include Basque cheesecake and pain perdu with vanilla Anglaise. Credit: Apollo Dubai Credit: Apollo Dubai Credit: Apollo Dubai The interiors of Apollo, a collaboration with Muqaddas Akkari Studio (MA Studio), feature a blend of raw textures and soft tones. The design incorporates deep burgundy walls, wood finishes, patterned velvet sofas and strategic mood lighting, creating an atmosphere that is quite comfy. You might also like: New restaurants in Dubai Floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views of The Palm and Dubai Harbour, which means that natural light floods the restaurant by day and gives you some seriously cool views at night. So, whether you're craving a quick bite, a lingering afternoon of mixed drinks and calamari, or a buzzing dinner that turns into a late-night out, make sure you give Apollo a visit. Open daily from noon-1.30am. Palm Views West, Palm Jumeirah, @apollothepalm Want a reservation in the meantime? Over 100 of the best business lunch deals in Dubai, by area Upgrade your lunch with an incredible offer Dubai's best restaurants: 86 incredible places to dine in We know where you should book into this week The 40 best restaurants and bars on Palm Jumeirah Consider this your definitive, go-to guide to dining on the island
