Coming Home: Jan Grell-Hull’s Memories of Hamilton Estate
Jan Grell-Hull welcomes you into the Vanilla Café, her birthplace
Walking Back Into the Heart of Hamilton Estate
On Hamilton Estate, the past lingers softly in the stone walls and open landscape. The former manager’s house, where Jeanette “Jan” Grell-Hull was born in 1946, is being restored as the Vanilla Café, and with it, the memories of those who lived here are returning too. When Jan stepped back onto the verandah nearly eighty years later, the breeze and the view felt exactly as she remembered. It felt, she said, like “coming home.”
Watch Jan retell the stories of her childhood at Hamilton Estate Sugar Mill:
A Childhood on the Estate
Jan grew up with space, freedom, and a lively household. Her father’s work kept the family on the estate, while her mother served the community. Jan and her siblings spent their days outdoors among fruit trees, animals, and wide-open paths perfect for riding. The house itself was simple but full of life — tended gardens, familiar routines, and neighbours who gathered for celebrations that still make her smile today.
“We used to see the carts drawn by horses bringing the sugarcane in and carrying it down to the mill. It was beautiful — it’s still beautiful.”
Looking Back
As her family moved to other estates, Hamilton remained the place Jan loved most. Later in life, she explored her roots across Dominica and Nigeria, tracing stories that shaped her understanding of identity and belonging. Returning to the house decades later was deeply emotional: the rooms felt smaller, but the memories were vivid - as if her parents and siblings had just stepped outside.
A House Reborn
Today, the home where Jan’s story began is becoming the Vanilla Café, part of the restoration led by Gina Empson and the team at Vanilla Paradise Nevis. What was once a ruin now stands strong again, warm and welcoming. Seeing it restored moved Jan to tears. “To see it come back like this… I wish I could live here again,” she said.
“This project is fantastic. Young people need to know where we came from, so they could understand and love themselves more.”
If you join one of our tours, or visit the future Vanilla Café, you may well find Jan on our shady terrace overlooking the Hamilton Estate, ready to welcome you with a smile!
Visit and Discover
Visit Vanilla Paradise Nevis, the island’s first vanilla farm
Explore the self-guided heritage walk at Hamilton Estate
Watch Jan’s video story, filmed where her memories first began
Book your visit to Vanilla Paradise Nevis today and be among the first to enjoy our new Vanilla Café when it opens.
