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In this series, we take a look at the amazing work being accomplished by members of our community. These are the game-changers, the inspirational leaders, and the passion-driven individuals who are changing our community, our health and our planet.
A: We are Canada's first and finest sea salt harvestry. We craft beautiful flakes of salt that elevate all your meals to another level. (Case in point: used to garnish our Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies!)
A: Let's get into the story of our sea salt adventure, shall we? After living abroad and experiencing how salt is a vital ingredient in every cuisine and kitchen around the world, we were disappointed to come back to Canada and realize that no local sea salt was being produced despite our country having the longest coastline. We knew we had to change that! And so in 2009, Vancouver Island Sea Salt was born. We started super small, selling in farmer’s markets, and slowly grew the company through innovation, R&D, and meaningful collaboration.
A: Creating the perfect world-class sea salt requires prioritizing a few key factors. For us, the source is absolutely essential. We collect our sea water in Oyster Bay, which is an extremely special location we chose for its fast moving currents that keep trace minerals churning, its rocky shores that prevent sediment from collecting, the surrounding old growth forests, glacier fed rivers, and wildlife above and in the water - these are the traits that define our ‘merroir’.
Of course, sustainability is also a top priority. By working within the circular economy ethos - we make sure that every drop of seawater that enters our facility never becomes waste and our processes contribute to regenerating nature. From producing our main product of all-natural sea salt, to finding high value uses of our side products, our small company works with local farms, food producers and some service providers to create all-natural, (environmentally) low-impact products. It’s pretty exciting for us that, while we’re able to produce world-class sea salt, we’re also producing ocean mineral rich brine that’s used in making tofu, but has also helped local farmers enrich their soil and provide mineral supplementation to animals.
A: We're truly grateful to partner with like-minded companies like Impact Kitchen, who share our mutual goal of creating something better together. Impact's focus on creating food to support a healthy lifestyle aligns with everything we stand for. The way we harvest our sea salt means you get good, clean salt with all the naturally-occurring trace minerals intact. We’re very happy that Impact has picked our sea salt flakes to create its bestselling Chocolate Sea Salt Cookie - a match made in heaven!
A: Salt making can be tough, especially with our Canadian winters (we may have milder winters in the West Coast, but those winter storms really keep us on our toes!). What gets us through all the challenges is having a fantastic team of people who care and take pride in the work that we do. Then there are the amazing chefs, food producers, fermenters, brewers and most importantly,the dedicated, talented home cooks who inspire us in their culinary endeavors. We’re both humbled and proud of the salty-foodie community who have been so supportive of us all these years!
A: We are Canada's first and finest sea salt harvestry. We craft beautiful flakes of salt that elevate all your meals to another level. (Case in point: used to garnish our Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies!)
A: Let's get into the story of our sea salt adventure, shall we? After living abroad and experiencing how salt is a vital ingredient in every cuisine and kitchen around the world, we were disappointed to come back to Canada and realize that no local sea salt was being produced despite our country having the longest coastline. We knew we had to change that! And so in 2009, Vancouver Island Sea Salt was born. We started super small, selling in farmer’s markets, and slowly grew the company through innovation, R&D, and meaningful collaboration.
A: Creating the perfect world-class sea salt requires prioritizing a few key factors. For us, the source is absolutely essential. We collect our sea water in Oyster Bay, which is an extremely special location we chose for its fast moving currents that keep trace minerals churning, its rocky shores that prevent sediment from collecting, the surrounding old growth forests, glacier fed rivers, and wildlife above and in the water - these are the traits that define our ‘merroir’.
Of course, sustainability is also a top priority. By working within the circular economy ethos - we make sure that every drop of seawater that enters our facility never becomes waste and our processes contribute to regenerating nature. From producing our main product of all-natural sea salt, to finding high value uses of our side products, our small company works with local farms, food producers and some service providers to create all-natural, (environmentally) low-impact products. It’s pretty exciting for us that, while we’re able to produce world-class sea salt, we’re also producing ocean mineral rich brine that’s used in making tofu, but has also helped local farmers enrich their soil and provide mineral supplementation to animals.
A: We're truly grateful to partner with like-minded companies like Impact Kitchen, who share our mutual goal of creating something better together. Impact's focus on creating food to support a healthy lifestyle aligns with everything we stand for. The way we harvest our sea salt means you get good, clean salt with all the naturally-occurring trace minerals intact. We’re very happy that Impact has picked our sea salt flakes to create its bestselling Chocolate Sea Salt Cookie - a match made in heaven!
A: Salt making can be tough, especially with our Canadian winters (we may have milder winters in the West Coast, but those winter storms really keep us on our toes!). What gets us through all the challenges is having a fantastic team of people who care and take pride in the work that we do. Then there are the amazing chefs, food producers, fermenters, brewers and most importantly,the dedicated, talented home cooks who inspire us in their culinary endeavors. We’re both humbled and proud of the salty-foodie community who have been so supportive of us all these years!
A: Right now, we're on the verge of completing a major expansion that will see us produce even more beautiful sea salt. We’re also looking at our next pop-up shop this summer. We’re housing it in a vintage Airstream and parking it right along the trail by our beach. You have to hike to get to it. It’s a great opportunity to showcase our salt and other select local products, and we get to tell our story right at the place where it happens.
A: For us here at the Salt Co, our community encompasses so much - starting with our local supplier partners and delivery drivers to the restaurants up or down the road where we’re a part of their local farm to table menu offerings. We also love being part of our surrounding neighborhoods and nearby towns, and have so much respect and admiration for the hardworking people and small businesses that form the social fabric of our local community. We try to be involved with as many community-driven events as possible. Creating meaningful connections with our restaurant and chef partners across the country and relationships with our retail partners who offer us access into home kitchens across Canada, our community seems to be growing all the time!
A: Making an impact is at the heart of everything we do, from protecting our environment to reducing our carbon footprint through our packaging choices and production methods. We make a conscious effort that every business decision we make will be part of our circular economy while trying to provide value to our customers, staff and community.
Online, we enjoy getting feedback and sharing cooking tips and recipes, and on the ground, supporting the many small businesses in the area either through patronage or collaboration. When we hear back from our customers about how much they love using Canada’s very own sea salt, then we know all the hard work has paid off.
Thanks for taking the time to learn about Vancouver Island Sea Salt. We've loved sharing our journey with you!
We look forward to introducing you to more members of our community who are making an Impact every day.
