Methas “Petch” Chaimongkalanon

Co-Founder & CEO, Kaew & co (Kaew Boutique)

Industry : Food

For Methas “Petch” Chaimongkalanon, the future of Thai desserts lies neither in preserving them unchanged nor reinventing them beyond recognition. As co-founder and CEO of Kaew & Co (Kaew Boutique), he is finding a contemporary middle ground: retaining their cultural identity while adapting presentation, sweetness and format to changing tastes.

At the heart of the business is an ambition to raise the perceived value of Thai sweets. Kaew Boutique challenges familiar assumptions that traditional desserts are overly sweet, old-fashioned or inherently less prestigious than international pastries. Thai coconut crepe variations, reduced-sugar drinks and contemporary branding offer a different proposition, while expansion into shopping malls places the category more visibly within premium retail settings.

Petch sees such evolution as a means of sustaining culinary heritage rather than diluting it. Traditional recipes and techniques remain the foundation, but thoughtful product development gives them relevance for audiences whose tastes and expectations are changing.

There is a broader purpose behind that approach. By supporting local suppliers and drawing attention to the craftsmanship behind Thai desserts, Petch hopes to strengthen the category as a whole. He also wants to encourage a new generation of entrepreneurs to see Thailand’s culinary heritage not simply as something to preserve, but as fertile ground on which to build contemporary businesses.