SALT FROM THE SEA
A business idea crystallizes in Bonavista
In historic Bonavista, where Newfoundland fish harvesters have made their livelihood from the ocean for hundreds of years, a different sea-based business has been founded on the tip of the peninsula between Bonavista and Trinity Bay. Peter Burt and Robin Crane, a couple from St. John’s, are happily pumping saltwater from Trinity Bay and extracting pure sea salt for use in kitchens around the globe. “Traditionally, everyone’s made their living off the ocean,” says Burt. “We’re still doing the same thing, it’s just a new take on it.”
The Newfoundland Salt Co. started up in 2017.
Burt has been a chef for a quarter of a century. He left his position at Raymonds in St. John’s last year to pursue salt-making. He and Crane were making salt on their days off since 2012.
The door to a full-time business was opened thanks to John Norman of Bonavista Creative. Norman, whose company renovates and rents spaces in Bonavista for businesses and artists.
“The key is proximity to the ocean and a really clean area where there’s not a lot of people, where there’s no septic or sewer outfall,” says Burt.
Crane says it’s also part of a change happening with demographics.
“I think there’s a really big shift happening right now,” she says. “I think a lot of people who are living in urban settings want to be in more rural settings.”
Burt and Crane can pump 2,000 litres at a time from the ocean to their truck. They store 50,000 litres in two large tanks in their building. From there, they boil the water — which has a natural salinity of 3.2 per cent — to about 80 per cent salinity. They keep the water warm for days, and then collect the accumulating salt crystals. The whole process takes about a week.
They’re left with Grade A salt — a perfect seasoning for steak, fresh cod or fries. Burt likes his salt crystals thin and flaky, and says Newfoundland’s sea salt is different from what you might find in the Mediterranean, or anywhere else.
“Where the water is from makes a difference to the flavour. We’re very proud of the product we produce.”
During the process, they can even spin off some byproducts, such as distilled water and calcium magnesium, to sell and offset costs.
They sell a Grade B salt to businesses such as soap shop East Coast Glow and the Newfoundland Chocolate Company, who grind it down as an ingredient.
Burt and Crane are even able to use low-grade salt that may be discoloured or not uniform. They salt their steps and sidewalk with the stuff.
As for the Grade A salt, they sell it wholesale to restaurants or online to individual customers. Eventually, they hope to be shipping not only to Canada, but to the United States and the European Union.