Award-winning Heilala Premium Vanilla Products Now Available In United States

New Zealand-based Heilala Vanilla Limited, a grower, manufacturer and distributor of award-winning Heilala Vanilla products is now available for consumer purchase in the U.S. Known for its purity and superior quality, the Heilala product range includes Heilala Vanilla Beans, Extract, Paste, Syrup, Sugar and Bean Powder.

Heilala Vanilla began in 2002 as an aid project in one of the world's most beautiful and remote places - Vava'u Islands in the Kingdom of Tonga. New Zealand dairy farmer John Ross, mined his horticultural know how and appreciation of the Tongan way of life to put to use a block of dormant land in the village of Utungake. It took three years to develop the vanilla plantation, nurturing the plants while applying organic and sustainable farming practices. Full community involvement (led by Ross, his daughter Jennifer Boggiss and son-in-law Garth Boggiss alongside the local Latu family) saw the aid project blossom into a business that created a range of the most exquisite vanilla products for specialty retail, chefs and gourmet food manufacturers. The company is recognized by the local Agriculture Ministry as a true example of a Pacific partnership in practice.

Today Heilala Vanilla has a global following among chefs and is featured on the menu in some of the world's finest dining establishments. Heilala products can be found in New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and now, the United States. In addition to products sold at retail for consumers, Heilala's Vanilla products have also been designed in a range of foodservice sizes and strengths to suit chefs and food manufacturers.

"It's rewarding to us that what began as a way to help the people of Tonga has evolved into a business producing some of the finest vanilla products in the world," said Jennifer Boggiss, Company Director, Heilala Vanilla Limited. "We're very excited that U.S. consumers will now be able to purchase our products at some of the country's top specialty food retailers."

Heilala Vanilla products are highly versatile and can easily be interchanged for one another in many baking and cooking applications. In addition to use in traditional baked goods, Heilala brings a distinctive flavor to savory dishes and entrees. It also adds a new layer of enjoyment to cocktails. The company offers a variety of recipes, news and tips using Heilala Vanilla products on their website at www.heilalavanilla.com. A video on the Heilala story can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=vegBGq8aN-E.

Top U.S. chefs have taken note of Heilala's appeal. "The intoxicating aroma and taste of Heilala Vanilla makes my dishes come alive with flavor. Their incredible Vanilla Paste adds outstanding quality and depth to my desserts...Call me a "Vanilla Snob", I love Heilala!", said celebrity chef, certified Sommelier & cookbook author Jamie Gwen (www.chefjamie.com).

Heilala products will be available for purchase beginning December 2012 online at food52.com, OpenSky, Chefshop.com, Soloway Selections, menusandmusic.com, Sweetwise.com (online and at their Nashville store location) at Bristol Farms in Northern and Southern California, select Whole Foods locations in Northern California, Dean & Deluca (online and in stores (Vanilla Sugar), Williams Sonoma (online and in stores (Vanilla Syrup) and at select gourmet retailers nationwide. Heilala products are distributed through Gourmet Merchants International, Gardena, CA and Renaissance Specialty Foods Inc., San Francisco CA. Recommended retail price range for individual products in the Heilala Vanilla range is $10.95-$24.95.

A company committed to Fair Trade practices, Heilala Vanilla is to establish the Heilala Vanilla Foundation in January 2013 recognizing Heilala's unique origins and the integral part the community and people of Vava'u have had on the company's su