Gina Empson
Founder and Director, Nevis Vanilla Paradise

From Financial statements to hand-pollinating vanilla plants, how an entrepreneur followed her dream

With an entrepreneurial spirit and after a successful career as a Chartered Accountant in both the United Kingdom and Switzerland, where she established her own accounting firm and a payroll company, Gina has decided to pursue her long-standing passion for botany.

Fate led Gina to the picturesque tropical island of Nevis, where she recognized that the climate and terrain are perfect for cultivating vanilla, a plant that may have even been brought to the Caribbean at the time of the Conquistadores, in early 16th century.

Gina decided to take the leap and embark on a new venture. In 2022, she bought land and established Vanilla Paradise in Nevis Ltd, an organic vanilla farm with a strong emphasis on sustainability as the foundation of the business. In early 2023, the farm was officially granted a Business and Occupation License by the Nevis Island administration.Cultivating premium vanilla is a labour of love: meticulous and time-intensive, with hand-pollination at its heart. At Vanilla Paradise Nevis, we've grown with purpose and care, now tending over 2,000 vanilla vines across five thriving shade houses.

Our farm has become a must-visit for vanilla enthusiasts of all kinds: local politicians, diplomats, Nevisians and Kittitians, church groups, schoolchildren, curious travellers and their local hosts, walking clubs, food lovers, bloggers, and solo adventurers. All have stepped through our bright yellow gates to discover what it takes to run Nevis’s first and only vanilla farm - and to glimpse the exciting future we’re cultivating.

The farm's beauty has been amplified by the creative touch of local Nevisian artists, whose beautiful works now grace the grounds. Adding to the charm, materials unearthed during land clearance have been whimsically repurposed into more original artefacts.

Looking ahead, a vanilla processing plant is being planned, ensuring the farm is well-equipped to turn our vanilla beans into the precious spice we all love.

We have also made our visitors' discovery of the neighbouring historic Hamilton Sugar Mill more accessible with a new trail of self-guided panels and are turning the old manager's house into a welcoming Vanilla Café to open in later summer 2025.

Vanilla Paradise Nevis has captured media attention throughout our journey, and we are thrilled to have been featured in National Geographic's prestigious "Meet the Maker" series in the June 2025 edition of Food Traveller Magazine. Discover the article here.

Gina is thrilled to have you alongside her and the Vanilla Paradise Team. You are invited to explore the pages of our Journal and join us on Facebook.

Your support fuels Gina’s passion as she strives to put Nevis firmly on the world’s vanilla production map 🙏.