FAQ
Our Company
A family-owned and social company founded in 2013, in Kampot, Cambodia, La Plantation is an artisanal producer of high quality Cambodian spices, including the famous PGI Kampot Pepper. We produce the spices in small batches, following the natural harvesting rhythm of each plant and thus guarantee the freshness of our spices. La Plantation’s project is primarily social and benefits the rural community of Cambodia.
La Plantation in a few words:
– We are producers and direct distributors of our peppers and spices (from our farm…to your table).
– We select only small family farms that cultivate for us and deliver the fresh spices, which are then processed the same day in accordance with international standards of hygiene and food safety.
– We have developed the best processing method for each product to preserve the intensity of its color, taste and aroma.
– We pack our spices immediately in sealed bags, kept in a dark place.
– We ship our production every two months by sea transport to bring you the freshest spices possible.
– We guarantee transparency and complete traceability of each package.
– We have selected for you the best Cambodian spices which are distinguished by their exceptional aromatic strength.
– Our project is a social project that allows hundreds of people to improve their living conditions and we financially support the schooling of village children.
Founded by the two founders of La Plantation, the Association Les Écoles de La Plantation (French), a non-profit association under the French law of 1901, aims to actively support the schooling of children in the rural region of Kampot. The actions of the association are based on 3 major axes:
– Schooling and education by giving them the opportunity to access a regular education from elementary school to university
– Training in a profession and help in finding a job
– Hygiene and health
Assimilated to agricultural tourism, it is a touristic experience carried out in an agricultural environment. La Plantation highlights the traditional cultivation of Kampot Pepper and Cambodian spices by offering activities around La Plantation.
The doors of La Plantation are open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for free guided tours. To find out more about the tours, click here.
Pepper has been cultivated in the region since the 13th century and its traditional cultivation method benefits from ancestral expertise. Our head farmer, 5th generation of pepper growers, respects centuries-old traditions to preserve the taste of the finest pepper in the world, Kampot Pepper. Khmers, who still heal themselves with traditional and natural remedies, have an extensive knowledge of local plants and their benefits. which they use on a daily basis.
Our Products
Yes, we are certified Fair Trade by WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization). This international recognition marks our daily social commitment to our employees, their families and the small farmers of the region. La Plantation’s project is primarily for the benefit of rural communities in the Kampot region of Cambodia.
We grow the peppers and spices at La Plantation and work with over 70 family farms in Cambodia. This partnership offers these families a guaranteed income from their crops. We commit to buy all their production at a fair price and finance them during the year. In exchange, they commit to respect the 10 Fairtrade principles of WFTO (no child labor, equal treatment of men and women, respect for the environment, chemical-free cultivation).
Our spices are grown mainly in the Kampot region in the south, in the Cardamom range in the north or in other regions of Cambodia. Each of our family farms is specialized in the cultivation of a spice and applies age-old traditions to preserve its original taste. Peppers and spices are grown naturally with natural fertilizers and repellents.
The day they are harvested, they are delivered to La Plantation and processed the same day.
The transformation process between fresh and dry spice has been developed by our quality engineers. We guarantee the highest level of organoleptic and taste quality, while respecting international standards of hygiene and food safety (La Plantation is HACCP and GHP certified).
Just open a jar of our spices and you will notice the difference!
The Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) identifies an agricultural product, raw or processed, whose quality, reputation or other characteristics are linked to its geographical origin and to the characteristics of a product cultivated on a land.
The PGI applies to the agricultural, agrifood and wine sectors. This certification is based on the knowledge. It is not created, it devotes an existing production and grants it protection at the national but also international level.
The Kampot region benefits from an exceptional terroir that is marked by its proximity to the sea, an environment surrounded by hills and mountains, a clay-limestone soil and a climate marked by monsoons and strong sunlight. These conditions have made the reputation of Kampot Pepper, recognized as one of the best peppers in the world.
Quality is at the heart of La Plantation’s values. Each partner family farm has been selected by our manager. A thorough visit of the farm, its environment, the expertise of the family in the natural and pesticide-free cultivation of the spice are important criteria. Throughout the year, regular visits are made, training on hygiene and good agricultural practices are carried out to ensure the best quality. Each step is controlled: from the farm where our farmers take great care of the plants throughout the year, to the manual selection grain by grain for the pepper, to the processing on the day of harvest, and to a rigorous quality control before the bagging.
Each processed spice then passes between the taste buds and nose of our quality team. We are lucky enough to be producers and spend our time looking, smelling and tasting our batches of spices. A treat for the taste buds!
Innovation is at the heart of La Plantation’s DNA. We are constantly developing new products and new blends. For example, Kampot Pepper with Salt, an exclusive La Plantation product, which we invented in 2016, has already won numerous awards and is used daily in the kitchens of many star chefs and gourmets.
Our products are packaged in sealed bags. Our powdered spices, as well as our Leaves, Flowers, and our famous Fresh Salted Kampot Pepper are packed with an oxygen absorber. It helps to preserve the quality and the aromas, the organileptic qualities and the colour of the product. The bags are then packaged into a kraft bag or tube, depending on the chosen format.
After many years of experimentation, we finally decided to keep this oxygen absorber in the majority of our bags. It’s easy, it allows the conservation of the freshness of the product, the organoleptic qualities, the essential oils, the colour, and also, the aroma of each spice. It’s thus indispensable for you to enjoy fully our spices. Don’t forget to remove it as you open your new bag!
Our products are not certified Vegan, but do not contain animal products. We have an organic production method. Our spices are grown naturally with natural fertilizers and repellents and without pesticides or other chemicals.
Our spices are lactose-free and are not processed or modified with additives, so they do not contain gluten.
All products sold under its La Plantation brand are processed and packaged in sealed bags at its processing facility in Kampot, Cambodia. The product offering covers seven families including Peppers, Roots, Chilies, Blends, Infusions, Herbs and Sauces. The facilities and equipment exclusively process the above mentioned products that do not contain as an ingredient or come into contact with any of the commonly recognized allergens, including but not limited to the following:
Cereal protein, cereal gluten, wheat, buckwheat, animal derivatives, artificial colors, milk and milk products, fish/shellfish, eggs, artificial flavors, MSG, peanuts or peanut derivatives, tree nuts, safflower, sesame, sunflower, cottonseed, poppyseed, rice, gelatin, soy, sulfites, monosodium glutamate, mustard, celery, yeast, fruits and berries.
Caution: Some people may have allergic reactions to Cinnamon. Cinnamon Powder and Chai Mix products should be avoided.
Our organic certification respects the European, American and Japanese organic standards (EOS, USDA, JAS). We are audited at least once a year by Ecocert, our certification body in Cambodia and by Certisys, our certification body in Europe. Our certification covers all products grown at La Plantation, in our organic group of small family farms and we also buy spices from certified organic farms. The processing and packaging of the products are also certified organic.
Products that are not certified organic are grown exclusively with natural fertilizers and pesticides or repellents.
The mention certified organic is indicated on the labels and on the description of the products concerned. They will soon be available on the online store and can already be ordered (more information by email shop@laplantation.com).
Spices are sensitive to their environment:
– protected from light, peppercorns, powders and leaves will keep their beautiful colors,
– stored in a dry place, they will keep their aroma and taste.
That’s why we have designed a packaging in a tube, which you can keep in your kitchen. Once opened, the spice bag can be transferred into the tube (it is certified food safe). This way, you will always have your spices available and ready to use to make delicious spicy dishes.
Note: Kampot Pepper with Salt or Long Pepper with Salt will retain their crispness and freshness if stored in a closed jar in the refrigerator.
Our spices are shipped every two months, by cargo, as soon as they are produced, according to their harvest calendar. This is why you can enjoy the best spices from Cambodia with an exceptional organoleptic quality.
The powdered spices are ground and immediately packaged with an oxygen absorber to preserve all their aromas. The peppercorns retain their flavors for many years as long as they are not ground.
You will find the lot number and the recommended minimum durability date (MDD) on each package. But you can see for yourself that even if this date has passed, our well-preserved spices will still develop exceptional aromas.
With spices, you can let your imagination and culinary talent run wild. From the aperitif to the dessert, your dishes will be sublimated by the use of La Plantation spices.
On each product sheet of the online store, you will find ideas for combining dishes with this spice. In addition, we have published with Season Suppers a book of spice recipes.
And if you follow us on social networks, we regularly share photos and recipes of dishes with spices.
Your orders
Add one or more products to the cart > click on “order” to validate the cart.
You will find all your orders in the “History and details of my orders” tab in your customer account.
If you wish to modify your order, contact us as soon as possible at shop@laplantation.com. We will do our best to accommodate your request if the order has not yet been shipped.
Before the package is shipped. You just have to contact us by email (shop@laplantation.com) or on the “contact” page. Once the order has been shipped, it is no longer possible. If the carrier returns the package to us, you will be charged for the reshipment costs.
You will automatically receive an order confirmation email on your email address, as soon as you have validated your order. You will also receive a summary email of your order. When the package is shipped, you will receive by email the tracking link of the package.
The order confirmation emails may be in your junk mail/spam box, take a look at them. If not, don’t panic, it is possible to contact us by e-mail (shop@laplantation.com) or on the “contact” page. It is also possible that you have not validated all the steps of the order. In one click the trick is played, it is necessary to validate each step until you are informed of the taking into account of your order by email.
The products are stored in our warehouses, the update of the stock is directly made on our site. If an item is out of stock, it will be marked as “unavailable”. You can always find the product in another format. You just have to go down the list of available formats in the product sheet.
To place a first order, just add the selected product(s) and validate the order. Then create your account, enter your contact information and delivery address, then choose your payment method and validate your order.
Contact us using the contact form. We thank you in advance for giving us your order number so that we can answer you as soon as possible and solve the problem. If you receive a damaged parcel, it is absolutely necessary that you notify the deliveryman at the time of delivery by issuing a reserve. But fortunately, it is not because the package is damaged that the products are damaged!
For all orders under 80€, delivery is charged at 7€ HT, over 80€ delivery is free (in Metropolitan France). For other countries, find more details about delivery on this page. The delivery is done between 2 and 7 working days. We do our best to deliver your order as soon as possible depending on the availability of the product(s).
The choice of carrier depends on the choices offered on La Plantation’s website at the time of the order. The shipping and delivery costs depend on the geographical zones and the amount of the order.
Rapidly perishable food products or sealed food products are excluded from this right of withdrawal. For more information, please consult our general terms and conditions of sale.
If one or more products of your order has been damaged during transport, we are sorry, please contact us via the contact form. We will do our best to send you back the damaged product(s) as soon as possible. Please send us the pictures with your email.
Contact us and explain the problem. Please have your order number ready so we can process your request even faster.
The payment on the Plantation’s website integrates the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) security standard allowing the encryption of your bank details and ensuring the security and registration of the payment order. Each transaction is validated with the 3D Secure system, which means that a double confirmation from you is necessary before the conclusion of the purchase. This protects you and us from any fraudulent purchase attempt.
Your bank details are not kept by La Plantation at any time. None of your banking information will be exchanged. PayPal is the world leader in the field of online payment transactions. The platform guarantees total security during transactions.
You can pay for your purchases either by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Bancontact) or by the Paypal payment solution.Find out more information about our payment solution on the dedicated page.
If your transaction is refused, we invite you to select another payment method or to come back to your order 20min later to try the transaction again. If the problem persists, don’t panic, you can contact us by email or on the contact form and we will be able to validate the order on your behalf and with your authorization.
The invoice will be attached to the order confirmation email that you will receive on your email address associated with your account. You can also download the invoice (in pdf) from your “Order History and Details” area.
A European directive has changed the VAT invoicing rules for sales to individuals via an online store. The VAT rate applied is that of the country where the goods are delivered. You will therefore notice a slight difference on the final price of your order (compared to the price displayed on the online store). This is explained by the fact that La Plantation Europe is registered in Belgium, the VAT rates applied are 6% and 21%. If you live in UK for example, the respective rates are 5.5% and 20%. You will therefore be charged the latter rates. If you have any questions, please contact us by email at shop@laplantation.com
Your Customer Account
There are two possibilities:
Create a customer account from the “customer account” tab, follow the instructions to create your account:
– Firstname name
– Mail address
– Choose your password
– Date of Birth
Or
Create your account when validating your order, follow the same instructions to create the account.
It is definitely possible. All you have to do is go to your “my account” space> my information> enter your new password.
Go to the “Addresses” tab of your customer account and modify or create your delivery address (es).
You have every right to deactivate and erase your personal data. To do this, click on the (GDPR – Personal data) section of your customer account, contact us via the contact form, let us know your request and we will process it as soon as possible.
Your data privacy
To find out more about the management of your personal data and your rights, you can consult our Legal notices.
If you want to obtain all or part of your personal data, to do this, click on the section (GDPR – Personal data) of your customer account, in the “Access my data” section, click on Get my data (PDF or CSV ).
Your loyalty account
At La Plantation, we want to provide you with quality products and service for many years to come.
That’s why our loyalty programme is designed to reward you every time you shop at La Plantation. You’ll automatically earn points, save money, enjoy exclusive benefits and receive a personalised customer experience, all to thank you for your loyalty.
You earn rewards with every purchase: Every time you make a purchase, you’ll accumulate points that will give you discounts on future purchases.
You save on your spending: Use your accumulated points as virtual currency to get instant discounts on your next purchase, saving you money every time you shop with us.
You choose your reward: You have the flexibility to choose how to use your points. You can choose to use them on every order or to accumulate points on every purchase and then use them for a specific order or to make a gift for someone close to you.
You benefit from exclusive advantages: As a member of our loyalty programme, you will have access to special offers reserved exclusively for our loyal customers.
Every order you place and place in the future earns you loyalty points as follows: 1 euro spent earns you 0.5 points.
For example, for an order of 80 euros, you will earn 40 points.
Each increment of 10 points is worth 1 euro off your next order.
Each time you place a new order, you can use some or all of your points for a discount. You can also use your loyalty points on several future orders.
Please note: Your points expire after 2 years.
You can view your loyalty points balance in your customer account at any time.
