A sustainable and family-run plantation in Tropical North Queensland, Broken Nose Vanilla is set on 12 glorious acres in Australia’s wettest town and under Queensland’s highest peak, Mount Bartle Frere. Whilst the rainfall may present other farmers with challenges, Fiona George and Matt Allen’s vanilla thrives in the wet tropics.

On the farm every small flower (more than a thousand a day) is hand pollinated through the dry, cooler winter months. The long, green, bean-like vanilla pods form in a matter of weeks, and hang in bunches for nine months to mature. Come June the following year, the pods are harvested as they start to turn from green to yellow. This is followed by the daily process of alternatively heating in the sun for a few hours and sweating in airtight boxes overnight to develop the heady familiar aroma of vanilla. Over a few months, the green beans lose most of their weight and are transformed into shrivelled brown flavourful vanilla pods.

Broken Nose Vanilla is taking a sample of its products to Regional Flavours Presented by The Courier-Mail this weekend on Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19, so keep an eye out for vanilla beans, vanilla extract, caramelised balsamic vinegar with vanilla infusion and vanilla paste, as well as vanilla tea and coffee. All Broken Nose Vanilla products are made on the farm and it teams up with LiráH from the Granite Belt for its vinegar supplies as well as Far North local’s Nucifora Tea from Innisfail and Jaques Coffee from Mareeba.