The Scottish-Khmer family behind BoTree Farm
In 2011, BoTree co-owner Peter Schaebbicke was used to spending most of the year in airports for his work in tech sales, missing time with his wife Amelia and their two children. Meanwhile, his brother-in-law Christopher Gow, also from Scotland, was settled in Cambodia running his eco-tourism business.
A frequent visitor to Kampot pepper farms, Christopher and wife Aly immersed themselves in learning about the region’s prime pepper growing conditions. Produced in Kampot for centuries and particularly revered by French gourmands, in the 1970s all regional pepper crops were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. Decades later, Kampot pepper was experiencing a farmer-led renaissance. Christopher and Aly were inspired by the traditional, sustainable farming practices that produced exquisite pepper.
BoTree co-owner Christopher Gow overlooking the family compound in Kampot, Cambodia
Christopher spoke constantly about Kampot pepper with Peter, whose lifelong appreciation for the art of seasoning was instilled by his father, a top chef at London hotels including the Grosvenor House Hotel and the Churchill. His obsession with ingredients and produce, as well as fine dining and top-range experiences cultivated Peter’s love of exceptional food. When the opportunity came to start an ethical seasoning company as a family, it was a dream come true. BoTree was born, taking its name from the Bodhi tree overlooking the family farm, a symbol of awareness and environmental stewardship.
BoTree co-owner Peter Schaebbicke at Top Drawer 2019
In 2012, BoTree commenced planting. Due to the three-year maturation process for Kampot Pepper plants the first harvest took place in 2015. Shipments of award-winning Kampot Pepper are vacuum-packed to arrive at the family home in Perth as fresh as the day they left the farm. There, the whole family (including grandma!) preps customer orders and sends them off to energise kitchens in Europe, North America, Australia, and beyond.
Christopher Gow and Peter Schaebbicke with Chef and BBC Good Food Editor-at-Large Barney Desmazery