The Vanilla Café: A Taste of the Future in the Heart of the Past
Gina Empson, the Lescotts and building crew members (plus Toni the dog), on the new terrace of the future Vanilla Café
Serendipity on a Familiar Path
Some stories begin with careful planning. Others begin by chance. For years, the stone and machinery ruins of Hamilton Estate sat quietly next to what is now Vanilla Paradise Nevis, the island’s first and only vanilla farm. Hidden by bush, the site remained largely untouched since it was decommissioned in 1951.
Passing the Mill daily — on the way to the farm or walking her dog, Toni — Gina Empson, Vanilla Paradise Nevis’ Founder, found herself drawn in. The place seemed to be full of potential. Could something new grow beside something so old?
The Industrial Heritage of Nevis
Two of the main sugar mills on the island were New River, located on the Atlantic side of Nevis, and the Hamilton Estate on the Caribbean side. Both estates evolved from traditional wind-powered operations to steam-powered facilities during the 19th century. During the peak of Caribbean sugar production, Hamilton Estate became a major operation. In 1859, Thomas Graham Briggs, a Barbadian planter, acquired and modernized the estate with steam-powered machinery, transforming it into one of Nevis's most significant industrial complexes.
A New Chapter, Rooted in Sustainability
Today, the story of the Hamilton Estate is being told anew and, we hope, in a way that honours its past while nurturing a sustainable future.
When Gina established her vanilla farm on a plot next door, it became clear that the two sites were intertwined. The ruins were already recognised by the Nevis Historical Trail, but they remained largely unexplained. Working with the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society, local authorities [1], and archaeological historians [2], new self-guided panels were commissioned and placed to help visitors interpret the site.
Read about the Hamilton Estate Sugar Mill Self-Guiding Panels here
One of the earliest restoration acts was an urgent one: removing a strangler fig that was slowly destroying the estate’s tall chimney. Then, attention turned to the foundations of the manager’s house — a place that soon became the heart of a bigger vision: a visitor centre and café where the stories of sugar and vanilla could be told side by side.
The large barrel cistern has been totally renovated; it holds about 17,000 gallons, and is working again to irrigate the area around the Mill.
An Historic Canvas: The Hamilton Estate Sugar Mill
The Chimney - liberated from nature's clutches
The Windmill - testament to wind-powered history
The Cistern - breathing fresh life into the grounds
The Manager's House - reborn as The Vanilla Café
Read about how the Hamilton Estate Chimney was liberated here
Heritage: Where Tradition Meets Teamwork
The transformation of the manager’s house into the Vanilla Café has truly been a celebration of Nevisian craftsmanship and community spirit. More than 20 local artisans, including three generations of the Lescott family—Grandfather Noral (Santa), his son Denis (Wasco), and grandson Renaldo Small—rolled up their sleeves to carefully rebuild the house, using the original stones that had weathered decades of storms and creeping bush.
Watch the video of the Lescotts talking about their work on the Hamilton Mill:
The frame was rebuilt, ensuring the design was true to the past while fit for future use. As one of the Lescotts said: “A house isn’t a house without a roof.” And now, it has one again. The carpenters’ expertise with tropical hardwoods and traditional Caribbean building techniques ensure the new structure will both honour the past and welcome today’s visitors.
A Hive of Activity
All this hard work has brought a real buzz to the estate. Amidst the masonry, carpentry, and painting finishing touches, the site has been alive with activity, with everyone pitching in. Remarkably, even as the transformation unfolds, visitors continue to enjoy tours, watching the estate’s past and future come together before their eyes.
Waste Nothing, Celebrate Everything
The future Vanilla Café with the blue Caribbean Sea in the background
The restoration was all about getting creative with what we already had. That strangler fig threatening the chimney? Its timber was transformed by our colleague and local craftsman John Wedderburn into tables, chairs and decorative touches for the café. A talented local seamstress added the finishing touches with cushions and soft furnishings, bringing comfort and colour inspired by vanilla vines and yellow orchids. The woodwork was painted in those distinctive green and yellow shades, tying the whole space together.
Gina’s vision was clear: a perfect spot where visitors can sit outside the café, sip vanilla tea, and gaze out over the sparkling Caribbean Sea, a little corner of paradise where vanilla cultivation and history meets natural beauty.
A Menu Born from Paradise
As the building takes shape, Gina has been experimenting with ideas for the café menu. Unsurprisingly, vanilla will be the star of the show, popping up in all sorts of delicious treats—think cakes, biscuits, ice cream, and even a proper cup of vanilla tea or coffee. Vanilla is at the heart of so many of what we love finding in a café, and there are plenty of new creations in the pipeline.
Watch this space: When Past Meets Future
The Vanilla Café is set to open in the autumn, completing a journey from forgotten foundations to a welcoming gathering place for locals and visitors alike. Visitors will be able to explore the restored manager’s house, learn the history of the sugar mill and the lives of the enslaved people who worked there, and discover the secrets of vanilla cultivation on Nevis.
From restored stone to reclaimed timber, from historical panels to a vanilla-infused menu, every detail of the café will tell a story of respect, restoration, and collaboration. It’s where Nevis’s sugar heritage meets its vanilla future—honouring the past while looking ahead.
A heartfelt thank you to the Lescott family and all the workers who are contributing to this historic transformation!
“Thank you for the dream you have Gina!” - Norral Lescott
Book your visit to Vanilla Paradise Nevis today and be among the first to enjoy our new Vanilla Café when it opens. Follow us on Facebook or sign up for updates to find out when!
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[1] Sylvester Meade [2] Marco Meniketti, Chrstine Eickelman, David Small, David Rollinson
