Wholesale vanilla for Switzerland, direct from the grower
We grow our vanilla in Madagascar and we deliver it by the kilo to Switzerland. Between the vine and your workshop there is no one: the same family plants, pollinates the flowers by hand, cures the beans, then takes your order and answers your questions.
Who we are
Our family has been growing and curing vanilla in the SAVA region, in north-eastern Madagascar, for three generations. The beans are not bought in already cured: they grow on our own plots, they are pollinated flower by flower, blanched, sweated, sun-dried, then conditioned for several months before being sorted and graded.
What that changes for a Swiss buyer: we can answer for the harvest, for the lot, for the suppleness and the aroma of the beans, because they are ours. And the price carries no one else's margin.
Who we supply in Switzerland
The Swiss market takes 100 to 150 tonnes of vanilla a year. It almost always arrives through flavour houses and traders: Givaudan, Döhler Schweiz, Vanpro. None of them is a grower.
We supply directly:
- Chocolate makers, industrial and artisan alike, who want a plump bean and a consistent taste from one campaign to the next.
- The flavour industry, for extraction and maceration, on steady volumes and a written specification.
- Bakers and pastry chefs, who buy by the kilo rather than by the tube and cut their ingredient cost.
- Ice cream makers, whose consumption is seasonal and who need a stable price and a deadline that holds.
The range, by the kilo
- Black Gourmet. The plump, supple, unsplit bean, the most aromatic of all. For infusions, custards, ganaches and vanilla paste.
- TK. Same origin and same curing, beans partly split at sorting. The best aroma-to-price ratio for ice cream makers and large infusion volumes.
- Red. Dried further, intended for extraction and for preparations where the bean is not seen.
- Cuts. Cut beans, packed in bags, for industrial extract and flavouring.
Whole beans ship vacuum-packed, Cuts in bags. Every shipment travels with its lot number and its harvest of origin. The minimum order is one kilo.
Our prices
A sliding scale, carriage included to your address in Switzerland. Amounts are in euros and are settled in Swiss francs at the day's rate.
| Quantity | Price per kilo |
| 1 kg | 249 € |
| 2 kg | 239 € |
| 5 kg | 219 € |
| 10 kg | 199 € |
| 20 kg | 175 € |
| 50 kg | 149 € |
| 100 kg | 125 € |
| 200 kg | 105 € |
| 500 kg | 89 € |
The wholesale price observed in Switzerland runs from 120 to 250 euros a kilo depending on quality and volume. Our scale enters the bottom of that range from 50 kilos and drops below its floor from 200 kilos, simply because there is no middleman to pay.
These prices are exclusive of Swiss VAT and of customs clearance fees, both detailed below. A sale from France to Switzerland is an export: we charge no French VAT. Every order is invoiced commercially.
Lead times and dispatch
Up to 100 kilos, the goods leave our warehouse in France within 48 working hours of the order being confirmed. Transport to Switzerland then takes a few working days, and customs clearance may add one.
Beyond 100 kilos, the shipment leaves from Madagascar. The lead time is longer and depends on the export campaign under way: we confirm it to you in writing, dated, before you commit.
Carriage is included in the prices above. We deliver DAP, that is to your address, duties and taxes unpaid: Swiss VAT and customs clearance fees remain payable by you, as with any purchase from outside Switzerland.
Swiss customs and VAT, plainly
Importing vanilla into Switzerland is simpler than in most countries. The facts:
| Customs duty | 0 %. Madagascar is one of the least developed countries: vanilla enters duty free under the Swiss generalised system of preferences. |
| Import VAT | 2.6 %, the reduced Swiss rate for foodstuffs. |
| Phytosanitary certificate | None is required for dried vanilla beans. |
| Local importer | None is required. Unlike the United States and the United Kingdom, you do not have to go through an approved importer. |
| Prior registration | None. A Swiss company can receive the goods directly. |
| Customs clearance fees | 50 to 150 CHF for a commercial shipment of 5 to 50 kilos, invoiced by the carrier. |
An example: for ten kilos of Gourmet at 199 euros a kilo, that is 1,990 euros, Swiss VAT comes to roughly 52 euros, plus the carrier's clearance fees, between 50 and 150 francs. There is nothing else to pay.
The customs file travels with the parcel: commercial invoice, packing list, tariff heading 0905 10 and origin Madagascar. You have no document to produce on your side.
Payment
- Card, at the time of order, up to the larger tiers.
- Twint, to settle from a Swiss account.
- Bank transfer, against a pro forma invoice, for large volumes and recurring orders.
On a steady volume, we fix the price for a whole campaign. That is put in writing and signed before the first delivery.
Requesting a sample
Write to us through the contact form on this site, stating four things: the grade you are interested in, the use, chocolate, ice cream, pastry or extraction, the volume you consume over a year, and the delivery address in Switzerland. We reply with the delivered price, the real lead time, and the exact contents of the sample before sending it.
You can also order a kilo online, with no account to open and no quotation to wait for. It is often the quickest test before committing to a volume.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an importer number to receive your vanilla?
No. Switzerland requires neither an approved importer nor prior registration for vanilla. Your company receives the shipment directly.
Is there any customs duty?
No. Vanilla from Madagascar enters Switzerland at 0 % duty. Only the 2.6 % VAT and the carrier's clearance fees apply.
Do you deliver to Liechtenstein?
Yes. Liechtenstein forms a common customs territory with Switzerland: same rules, same VAT, same lead time.
Can we have a specification followed over time?
Yes, on a steady volume: grade, length, appearance and packing are set in writing and held lot after lot. We would rather turn an order down than deliver a lot that does not match.
Are you really growers?
Yes. The planting, the curing and the sorting are done by our family in the SAVA. That is why our price per kilo does not look like a trader's.