About US

Awani is an award winning artisan producer of tropical fruit preserves and food gifts. From the outset, our aim has been to showcase the sensational, natural flavours of our tropical fruit.

Our preserves are enjoyed at most of Bali’s luxury hotels. Awani’s jams have sold at London’s top department stores Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, and our beautiful food gifts are must-have presents for food lovers. Our home is in the central highlands of Bali, in the village of Luwus, Tabanan, a region of Bali known for its artistic heritage and fine craftsmanship. 

We make our fruit preserves with only the freshest, ripest fruit from our volcanic archipelago. We think Indonesia’s tropical fruit is the best tasting anywhere in the world.

The Indonesian archipelago is part of the volcanic Ring of Fire that circles the Pacific Rim. The island of Bali has been shaped by volcanic eruptions over thousands of years. Volcanic ash produces exceptionally fertile soil with a high nutrient content. This soil, coupled with cycles of tropical sunshine and monsoon rainfall, allows for delicious tropical fruit to grow profusely.

Bali today bears little resemblance to the tropical island paradise experienced by early travellers. Our objectives are to manage our environment and the Awani Bali community as best we can in the face of rapid economic and social change.

We have created and nurture a fruit economy to preserve traditional farming practices, and equip local staff with the skills and confidence needed to engage with the developed, commercial world. We do this while continuing to celebrate and advance the exquisite culture that is at the core of being Balinese.

We work with our staff, network of farmers, suppliers, and our local communities for the growth and benefit for everyone.

“Awani” means “earth” in old Balinese Sanskrit. The Balinese feel a connection to the earth, believing it is the giver of life, that it provides the sustenance to support us, and that in the end, when we die, we all return to earth. We have a similar circular philosophy in managing our affairs at Awani, which we believe is essential for the sustainability of Awani Bali and our communities.

Sustainability is integral to the way we work. We collect thousands of used jam jars from our hotel customers and re-use them if they are in perfect condition. By helping recycle these jars, the hotels receive a discount on next orders.

We also work with a local initiative for other recyclables in our production process. We peel a lot of tropical fruit at our kitchen in Luwus! Because we work with fruit by hand, instead of standard machines, there is little wastage of fruit. All fruit peelings are then composted and used at our kitchen farm in Luwus. 

Yip Lee and Heather Li are Awani’s Founders. Both are graduates of Cambridge University in the UK with degrees in engineering and law respectively, a world away from making jam!

Yip’s love for Indonesia evolved while working in Java in the 1990s with the management consultancy Booz Allen and then Pepsi Cola. Heather’s former professional life was in broadcasting and corporate communications which included working for the BBC and CNBC Asia.

Both Yip and Heather are passionate about creating a framework involving craft, community and commerce to preserve the natural and artistic heritage of the Balinese.