Grindblowing: Australia's cult black pepper Pep makes its US landing

AUSTRALIA’S CULT BLACK PEPPER PEP MAKES ITS US LANDING

Brings its much-loved single-origin Cambodian peppercorns to kitchens across America

NOVEMBER 2026 PEP black pepper is now available online in the US at eatpep.com, marking its long-awaited American debut, with specialty retail stockists to follow.

Founded in Melbourne in 2024, PEP has spent the past two years building a brand dedicated exclusively to black pepper — a single-minded focus on single-origin black pepper — that, to the best of its knowledge, is unique in the category.

Shipping thousands of units each month, with a presence in 400 stores across Australia and New Zealand (that’s pretty good down there) and a customer rating of 4.96/5, PEP has established a loyal customer base and captured palates and imaginations across the region. It's also attracted an early audience in the US, where fans have been waiting for the opportunity to buy directly.

PEP's story began with a quality pepper steak in 2022. Everything on the table was exceptional, except the pepper. Why did that vital, used-by-all ingredient get a pass? The question sent three friends and co-founders Myki Slonim, Royce Akers and Josh Gardiner across Southeast Asia in search of something better.

After tasting many varieties, the trio settled on peppercorns grown in Memot, Cambodia, a region with rich volcanic soils, tropical climate and experienced growers, in a country with a long-standing reputation for exceptional pepper. Distinctive, premium-grade, single-origin pepper with bright citrus and earthy notes, aromatic complexity and a warmth that builds.

PEP's peppercorns (sold whole, not pre-ground) retain their essential oils and freshness until the moment they're used. Available in a fully loaded, reusable glass grinder (1.76 oz) with an adjustable pro ceramic burr, and in a (1.76 oz) vacuum-sealed pack with a pop-out funnel for refilling the PEP grinder, other mills and mortar and pestles.

“‘Pepper's just pepper’ is what people say before they've tried better,” says Akers. “Think about the olive oil, slow-dried pasta and flaky salt you choose for a favorite pasta dish, then finishing it with a nameless, likely bland pepper from the back of the pantry.”

“Pepper is often the last thing we put on a meal, but that doesn't mean it should be an afterthought. If it's one of the first things you taste, we believe it should be fresh and full of flavor,” adds Slonim.

PEP's influence has extended beyond home and professional kitchens, appearing in the MasterChef Australia pantry and across Australia's leading mastheads and food media. Its community of “PEP-heads” spans home cooks, chefs, artists, musicians and creatives, and collaborations have included cacio e pepe crullers, pepper gelato, pepper soda, salt-and-pepper chocolate, and PEPfume, a pepper-inspired fragrance developed with Crushes Flowers.

“We've spent two years building PEP in Australia, and the response has been incredible,” says Gardiner. “That's come from all corners. We're excited to bring what we've created to a new audience in the US, and make it easier for those who've already discovered PEP to get their hands on it.”

In the US, PEP plans to carry that momentum forward through collaborations with chefs, retailers and like-minded brands and communities across food, design and culture.

• PEP Grinder — 1.76 oz of whole peppercorns loaded into a reusable glass grinder with an adjustable pro ceramic burr US$22.90

• PEP Pack — 1.76 oz of whole black peppercorns in a vacuum-sealed pack with a pop-out funnel, compatible with the Pep Grinder and other mills US$13.50

• PEP Starter Pack — 1x Pep Grinder + 1x Pep Pack US$33.90

Pep is available now at eatpep.com

Instagram: @eat_pep

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ABOUT PEP

PEP has spent the past two years building a brand dedicated exclusively to single-origin black pepper — an approach that, to the best of its knowledge, is unique in the category. Founded in Melbourne in 2024 by three friends who are obsessive eaters, not chefs, PEP sources exclusively from the Memot region of Cambodia. Its whole peppercorns are never blended, delivering aromatic complexity, big flavor and a warmth that builds. With a distinct point of view and a healthy appetite for doing things differently, PEP is now bringing its approach to black pepper to the US.