The Story

Gerard Fothergill

The site pays homage to Gerard Fothergill, a well-travelled pioneer in the study of plants and spices and their medicinal qualities. The Botanist has embraced Gerard’s legacy in the form of fine produce, exotic spices, the spirit of adventure and a thirst for knowledge, easily quenched with a well-poured Botanist gin, just as Gerard would have liked it.

Gerard Fothergill was born in the small English village of Barrington in 1868. His early explorations, at the request of Queen Victoria herself, saw him travel through Southern India and the Western Coast of Africa.

He also spent many years in the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, where his research focused on the Gundelia thistle, a much-savoured ingredient in many of the regions traditional dishes. It was here that he wrote an article for the British Scientific Journal titled ‘Wondrous Desert Thistles: The fountain of youth.’Gerard is said to have spent his final years at the current site of The Botanist Kirribilli.