Hugh Morgan, Japan's first specialty vanilla brand*1, developed by Ys Corporation, will relocate its first store in Otemachi, which opened in April this year, to the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store (in the Japanese and Western confectionery section on the first basement floor), and will reopen on October 5th. (Due to the relocation, the Otemachi store will close on September 22nd.)

Left) Brand Director Sakurano Ayane, Right) Chef Patissier Sagawa Yu
Hugh Morgan independently purchases and sells the finest vanilla beans from around the world. The brand director is Sakurano Ayane, a former top actress in the Takarazuka Revue, and the luxury sweets line, led by chef pastry chef Sagawa Yu, formerly of a Michelin-starred restaurant, offers seven varieties, including butter sandwiches, cream puffs, and puddings. Also, starting this month, three popular sweets from the in-store sweets line—"Vanilla Butter Sandwich," "Vanilla Macaron," and "Vanilla Cake"—will be available on the official online store. The online sweets line will continue to expand in the future. *1: Based on in-house research (as of April 2022, as a specialty vanilla store). New products to be sold at the new store: ■ "Diamond," a baked confectionery made with plenty of Indonesian vanilla. "Diamond," a classic cookie named after the French word for diamond. Made with plenty of Indonesian vanilla.

'Galette Nantes'
A confectionery from the town of Nantes, located in the south of the Brittany Peninsula in France. It is a crunchy sable made with Indonesian vanilla.

■ A nut that's perfect as a quick snack or to accompany a drink - once you start eating it you won't be able to stop
'Cashew Macadamia Vanille'
Two types of organic nuts are coated in a salty vanilla sugar coating, and the darker coating uses wasanbon molasses from Tokushima Prefecture, adding richness and umami. You can enjoy the sweetness of cashews and the chewy texture of macadamia nuts while savoring the subtle aroma of vanilla.

"Pecan Pistachio Vanille"
Two types of organic nuts are coated in a salty vanilla sugar coating, and the darker coating uses wasanbon molasses from Tokushima Prefecture to add richness and flavor. Enjoy the soft aroma of vanilla, as well as the smooth texture of pecans and the fragrant aroma of pistachios.




As a brand pursuing the further potential of vanilla.


Vanilla is said to be the world's most noble fragrance. Its history was shaped by Hugh Morgan, who served as personal physician to Queen Elizabeth I, ruler of England in the 16th century.
At the time, vanilla, a native of Central America and only used occasionally as one of several spices, was the first to establish vanilla as a standalone fragrance. Shortly after he established vanilla flavoring, its fragrant aroma and uses became widely known, especially among the upper classes, including royalty. Subsequently, vanilla flourished not only in the UK but throughout Europe as a noble flavoring used in perfumes and confectionery. Hugh Morgan laid the foundation for the development of vanilla as we know it today. Honoring his creativity and using him as a source of inspiration, we pursue the "further potential of vanilla" as a specialty vanilla brand.


■ Our Products
Today, vanilla is loved around the world, primarily in the so-called planfolia variety (which includes so-called "Bourbon vanilla") and Tahitensis (synonymous with Tahitian vanilla). However, what is less known is that there are significant differences in the aroma of vanilla produced in the Americas, where vanilla originated, Africa, where planfolia is primarily produced, and Asia, where Tahitensis is primarily produced.


Each year, we select the highest quality vanilla from each target area that best fits our brand concept, based on the three concepts of "Elegance," "Classic," and "Dawn." For example, Madagascar, one of the most famous vanilla producing regions, boasts the world's largest production of the Planfolia variety, but it is not widely known that Uganda, also in Africa, is a major producer. Even within the same country, quality varies depending on the farm, and there are many excellent farms even outside the major producing regions. As a leading vanilla merchant, we select vanilla from various vanilla producing regions around the world according to strict standards to provide the highest quality vanilla.

"Elegance"
Asian vanilla is the fastest growing vanilla in the vanilla market. This vanilla is made from Tahitian vanilla, which is considered to be more complex and distinctive than the planifolia variety and is used in high-end sweets. It is often made from vanilla grown mainly in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and is characterized by a mellow, perfume-like aroma. (S) 650 yen / (M) 2,100 yen

"Classic"
This vanilla is selected from high-quality vanilla that can truly be called the standard, mainly from Madagascar, known as the main vanilla producing region today. Classic is mainly made from the planifolia variety and is characterized by its particularly high vanillin content. (S) 700 yen / (M) 2,200 yen

"Dawn"
This vanilla is made from high-quality vanilla from Central America, the starting point of vanilla history and known as its place of origin, and can truly be called the roots of vanilla. The coffee is often sourced mainly from Mexico and Costa Rica, and the current Dawn, like Elegance, is selected from Tahitian varieties that have a high vanillin content. (S) 750 yen / (M) 2,500 yen


■ Sweets Menu

Cream puff (500 yen)
Pudding (500 yen)
Vanilla cake (600 yen)
Macarons (300 yen)
Butter Sandwich (500 yen)
Cookies (600 yen)

In order to make the vanilla the main focus, we have kept the other ingredients such as the dough and cream as simple as possible so that the aroma and flavor of the vanilla can be felt. Because it is simple, we have paid particular attention to the texture of the sable, the smoothness of the pudding, and the compatibility of the dough and cream. We are able to procure vanilla beans at low prices because we purchase them through our own network from various producers around the world, avoiding intermediate distribution as much as possible, and we use an amount of vanilla beans in our sweets that is unthinkable in the world of confectionery.

As an example, we use about half a vanilla bean for one pudding. The vanilla is boiled to extract its aroma and flavor, and as the aroma still remains in the vanilla pod after boiling, we dry it and turn it into powder, which we then knead generously into the dough for cookies, pound cakes, and other products, using every last bit.



■ Brand Director Sakurano Ayane
Born in Okayama Prefecture. Joined the Takarazuka Revue in 2002. Became the top female lead in the Flower Troupe in 2006. Left the company in 2010 after appearing in "Yubijin: A New Legend." After leaving the company, she has been active as an actress on stage and in films, appearing in productions such as "New Year's Takizawa Revolution" at the Imperial Theater and "Kyoto no Hotarubi" at the Meijiza Theater, as well as the TV drama "Butler Saionji's Great Suiri."

■ Chef Patissier Sagawa Yu
Born in Tokushima Prefecture, surrounded by sea, mountains, and rivers. Since kindergarten, her dream has been to open a cake shop. After training for 10 years at various cake shops in Osaka and Tokyo, she learned about the importance of ingredients, food culture, and nature at L'Effervescence. She wants to continue making meaningful sweets that convey "delicious" plus "something else," such as by using ingredients that are often wasted, and by understanding the background and history of the ingredients. She hopes to continue making many people smile.