BoTree wins 17 stars at Great Taste Awards 2022
With our flagship product, Black Kampot pepper, winning 3 stars and our white and red also getting awards, 2022 is the year the Guild of Fine Foods goes back to our foundational spices to recognise their exceptional quality.
It’s not every day that three stars are awarded to raw, unadulterated black pepper and we’re over the moon that our Kampot pepper convinced the Guild of Fine Foods that even one simple ingredient like pepper can make such a difference. Strict quality control, taste and provenance all play a vital role in creating the best pepper in the world, and we’re proud to be the ones who bring it to your tables.
Beyond our Kampot peppers, eight of our single source spices also won Great Taste awards to bring BoTree to a combined 17 Great Taste stars in 2022.
Botree Black Kampot pepper: the 3-starred pepper
“We could think of no way to improve them”
This is probably the best comment we could possibly get from the judges at the Great Taste Awards. We’ve always been confident that our pepper is the best in the world, but to hear it from the food professionals who judge all the best produce in the world, is another level! We particularly liked the way they described our pepper, as we feel it’s exactly what we try to achieve with it:
“These are beautiful-looking black peppercorns. When crushed they have a unique citrusy aroma.
On tasting there is, of course, a powerful level of heat, but there is so much fragrance. That perfume and some citrus linger on the palate along with the heat to add depth and complexity- and those flavours keep on coming.
Peppercorns that keep on giving. These are stunning and would enhance any dish or any meal.
What a fabulous, outstanding condiment!”
Botree Red and White Kampot Pepper win Great Taste Awards
“A great example of a great quality peppercorn”, said the judges at the Guild of Fine Food as they awarded our Red Kampot pepper with two stars for “its complex aroma, with a bouquet of spice, citrus, and sweetness”. They also added:
“Fiery little critters! These are delicious and that heat is fruity, pungent, fragrant and very delicious. Great complexity and lip tingling loveliness. A well rounded heat that lingers brilliantly. Most enjoyable.This vibrant peppercorn starts off with a fruitiness which is pleasing and then the heat begins to grow and it keeps on going!”
Our White Kampot pepper also got a 1-star Great Taste Award, as a “quite delicious and well balanced” “crunchy pepper that packs a big punch”. The judges also praised its “fresh and vibrant with a punchy yet not overbearing heat. It lingers on the palate developing as it does - but this isn't ferocious at all.”
‘The best cumin’, ’amazing’ pemba cloves and ‘intriguing’ kelp
Our range of single origin spices continues to wow the judges of the Guild of Fine Foods. This year, three of our spices coming from as far as Tanzania, Iceland and Afghanistan won two stars.
Our Zanzibar Pemba cloves won for their “amazing spicy fresh aroma”, while our Afghan cumin from West Badakhshan was described simply as “the best cumin we have encountered”. With their “bright, lemony aroma with a powerful complexity”, our Wild Mountain Cumin Seeds were dubbed “fresh, long-lasting, fabulous.” The judges found they “could taste pepper, liquorice, savoury - great bags of flavour along coming through.”
‘Intriguing, wonderful, fascinating, unique, morseish, versatile’ were just some of the adjectives used to describe our Wild Icelandic Kelp, which they said had “an immediate freshness of the sea with deep clean mineral notes, light saltiness and a rich coastal flavour.” In their own words, “Judges could imagine a thousand uses for this delicious seasoning. A huge umami hit, and an undertones of ozone, make this salty treat rather exciting.”
Simplicity that opens all the (flavour) doors
Further spices getting the approval of the Guild of Fine Food range from our Guatemalan cardamom, through to two Vietnamese favourites- our purple stripe garlic and the star anise- and to African cacao and caraway seeds. They all got one star, officially entering the jet set of spices, together with our 2021 winners.
Our Cloud Forest Cardamom was praised for its bright and bold flavours with a striking aroma”, with its seeds releasing “a myriad of citrusy and fruity flavours”.
Dubbed an “exciting product from Vietnam”, our Purple Stripe Garlic has “a wonderful aroma of clean garlic that releases a fabulous rich flavour which has depth and length - with the finish being very well rounded and smooth.”
The other Vietnamese spice getting a star is our ‘attractive’ True Star Anise Summer Harvest, described as having “astonishing aroma followed by an assertive blast of flavour”. The judges said “This dried whole star anise has a glorious aroma of liquorice and the taste did not disappoint. We enjoyed the simplicity of this product.”
Another simple product that adds “an interesting complexity of flavours’ (and gets a Great Taste Award) is our Morogoro Cacao. Judges say “citric fruity flavours are mixed with tobacco and dark smoky woody notes. This would work very well as a seasoning for meat dishes and stews, as well as a base for a hot chocolate based drink or cocktail.”
“Pure, simple and delicious’ is how the Great Taste Awards judges describe our King Caraway Seeds from Egypt. “Wonderful large seeds with a good aroma. The flavour is very well rounded with waves of different flavour notes coming through from citrus lemon to aniseed, with a slightly woody finish - these sing of quality’. Simple.
We know it’s a lot to take in: 17 stars, three types of Kampot pepper, eight single origin spices. We are still pinching ourselves at this year’s success. And to be the only black pepper to ever get 3 stars- that’s just a dream come true. But if there’s something ‘easy’ to bring home, it’s how simplicity doesn't mean boring: by using the best spices we can elevate any dish that we cook, whether it’s a simple salad or a complicated French entree. The complexity of aromas and flavours packed into single origin spices changes the game, always.
So join us in celebrating the beauty and depth of seasoning- and let us know how you are using our award-winning spices (now counting a whopping 48 stars over 30 products).