If you are a Houstonian, there is a good chance that you have already experienced Deluxe Vanilla. The extract of choice for many local pastry chefs can be found in several of our city’s beloved iconic treats.  To name a few; Crave Cupcakes’ red velvet cupcake, Common Bond’s boston cream kugelhopf , Sweet Cup’s tres leches gelato, and Michael Cookie Jar’s snickerdoodle.

Exhausted by the volatile price and inconsistent quality of vanilla, wife-husband team of Claudia Farinola and Brad Dorsey began importing vanilla beans and developing extract blends in 2014. They have cultivated relationships with sustainable farming partners who organically grow vanilla beans near the Uganda’s equator.  Beans harvested too soon or too late do not make the cut.  Once the hand-selected vanilla beans are perfectly ripened they air freighted to Deluxe’s vanilla lab at 9514 Westpark Drive in West Houston.  “We use a slow, cold extraction method in small batches and uniquely finish the product in toasted oak,” said Dorsey.  “This gives our pure vanilla extract a complex yet pleasant, smooth finish.”

Claudia and Brad are both graduates of the University of Houston’s Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management and seasoned hospitality professionals.  Claudia worked alongside her family at Pino’s Italian Restaurant, a landmark in Houston for over 45 years.  Brad is a co-owner of the award-winning Crave Cupcakes, who used over a ton of Deluxe Vanilla extract in their recipes last year.

Deluxe self-distributes pure vanilla extract, vanilla with bean paste and artificial vanilla blends.  Primarily, they service the commercial food industry by the gallon but their 4-ounce pure vanilla bottle can be found in select local markets. Something else to like, Deluxe contributes a percentage of their sales to Uganda’s Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration to support the fight against malaria in Africa.