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A day in in the life: Salter Malky
"Everyday is different, but all start the same, with a good look at the sky and the sea. You get a feel for it…The Tower has some mood swings".
Weather means a lot to us at Blackthorn and depending on what form of dreichness, drizzle, wind strength and direction or sunshine that we happen to be experiencing for any given time, Malky will adjust the 54 wooden taps to make sure that the trickle-factor is tailored to that moment at that point on the tower. Running too fast if the wind is weak is pointless, too slow and it is wasteful. Then there are checks to make, the valves and filters, the concentration levels and humidity effects.
In the Pan House, there is cleaning always, but somedays are a deep clean, then maybe re-filling, crystal monitoring, agitating, experimenting or harvesting; or it may be a clear, calm seawater gathering day and Blackthorn packaging day, maybe there is a Trade Tour or some design innovations we are looking at. We are always tweaking, learning, looking for ways to improve, reduce our footprint and ensure that every box of Blackthorn Salt is the best it can be.
yesterday
We have been overwhelmed by the reception that #Blackthorn has had across the board, with restaurants, producers, farm shops, delis, home foodies alike, and the support locally has been incredible.
Around Ayrshire, and indeed, Scotland, the interest in what we have been trying to achieve has been so positive and local stores are all super supportive and we are really looking forward to welcoming all those individuals who have taken the time and expressed an interest in the tower to one of our Open Days very soon.
If you would like to receive an invite, please DM your email address and we will make sure that you are on the list. At the moment, we are such a small team and concentrating on ensuring Blackthorn Salt is everything that it should be, that we can only hold Tower Tours and Tastings occasionally, but, rest assured, The Blackthorn HQ, Tower and Carriage is ready to welcome you - one day 🤞
3 days ago
Salt production was essential on the Ayrshire Coastline since time immemorial and, unlike the much larger historic salt manufacturers on the East Coast, a multitude of small salt boiling enterprises came and went frequently here on the West. Blackthorn Salt sits on an area that used to be known as the Saltfields and the shore road that leads to the tower is Salt Pans Road.
At Blackthorn, we are incredibly proud to be reviving an industry that used to be so essential to local life. We know that those from the past would be flummoxed by our focus on the environmental and quality, rather than quantity of the salt made here, but we very much hope that they would relish it all the same!
4 days ago
We are champions of the Blackthorn tree, the Prunus Spinosa, not least because it is the perfect natural answer for evaporating seawater without harm (unless spiked by one!) or because of the wonders of a great Sloe gin.
Amongst other things, Blackthorn is 'a tree of undoubted antiquity' - in the UK, it is one of the oldest, indigenous trees. Fossils from the early pre-glacial period show that, unlike many other species, it hasn't changed much since. With giant herbivorous dinosaurs roaming, it is easy to imagine why the spines and thorns evolved to be as long and sharp as they are.
Its natural hardiness makes it ideal for a good walking stick (or an Irish shillelagh) and its bark, fruit, thorns, roots and leaves have, at times, been an essential part of the soothsayer/ witches' or druid's armoury and helped with many an ailment and even spell; its thorns were ideal as pins or brooches and sometimes weapons. Shrouded in superstition, mystery, magic, history and out-and-out sturdiness, there is so much more to the Prunus Spinosa than meets the eye...
7 days ago
Master Salter Gregorie, while being brought up with a background and family business in salt, had actually studied architecture and was delighted to collaborate with @graven_hq to work on the final plans for the tower.
Visiting other towers in Europe was the essential inspiration and a great help - they are truly impressive and completely vast; however none of these towers were built in living memory and nor were they used to evaporate seawater. Also, it was essential that this tower would work for salt production in today's world, rather than as spa etc.
The project was ambitious and risky - even finding engineers and builders willing to give it a go was difficult! Eventually, in 2018 Dumfries and Galloway woodworker Archie McConnel pulled together a group of highly skilled local joiners and woodworkers and they collaborated with a brilliant engineering firm in Edinburgh. The tower slowly began to take shape.
Some of it arrived flat-packed, but with the help of a crane on site, the skeletal frame speedily went up. Filling it with the thorn bundles was not so speedy however and, a year later, the Blackthorn Tower was ready for the first trials in 2019.
9 days ago
Fairy tales have long been used to teach life lessons... so this World Book Night, we're exploring salt in folklore ✨
One such tale, The Princess & the Salt, tells the story of a King who asks his three daughters how much they love their father.
The eldest says, "I love you more than gold."
The second daughter says, "I love you more than jewellery."
The youngest says, "Oh father, I love you as much as water and salt."
The King, disappointed by his youngest daughter's response, banishes her to the forest - as fairy tale kings seem to be quick to do! Years later, after marrying a prince, the princess hosts a banquet in which everyone but the King has water and salt with their meal. The King struggles to eat without salt to season his meal and a glass of water to wash it down, and goes hungry. At this point young princess reveals her identity, and once again states: “I love you as much as water and salt”. The King then realises the true value of salt: it might not be as shiny or expensive as diamonds and gold, but it enhances his life each and every day.
The moral of the story? Sometimes it's the little things that bring the most joy.
What are you reading this #WorldBookNight? 📖
15 days ago
Blackthorn hunting with The Salt Geek, perks of the job!
29 days ago
Happy Happy Easter! So delighted that this is the end of what seems like a super long #Lent and looking forward to some good times incoming…
We treated ourselves with this gorgeous Blackthorn related bundle - good for the soul (and mind and body)!
Thank you lovely people @thebookandbucketcheesecompany, @sweet_artisan__confectionery and @Kelvin_Apothecary for being able to do things we could only dream of with Blackthorn #hope #nearlythere #salt #seasalt #natural #sustainable #easter #happyeaster
1 month ago
Have a magnificently #GoodFriday everyone! Here is @gmacchef's smoked salmon with #Blackthorn to tick the fish box…
1 month ago
Packaging testing... it’s a family thing! #plasticfree is a priority, as is... Crystal/flake protection and integrity, food grade, ability to withstand corrosive characteristics of #salt, ease of stacking, dimensional satisfaction to use (the ‘hand dip’ factor)- ease of disposal, minimal environmental impact, minimal cost, and, retention of dust cover is also preferable! We are asking a lot of these wee boxes even though it is the contents that really count...
1 month ago
Blackthorn crystals went to Paris for this shoot, when we were (and are) all very much staying at home. Thank you to @the_gentlewoman for bringing beauty and such graciously considered observation to the wondrous world of exquisite finishing salts.
1 month ago
Historically, salt has held universal appeal in cultures across the ages, whether being worshipped by the ancient Greeks, providing fiscal security for the Roman empire, brokering deals, sealing weddings and funerals for others or simply bringing good luck to Robert Burns in his new home.
Biologically too it is vital, literally without salt we humans cannot live.
Even today, in the culinary world, salt is recognised as the most transformative ingredient of all time. Yet, the phrase "less is more" holds true: used cleverly, a humble pinch or sprinkle of really good salt, unrefined and mineral-rich, at the right moment can truly transform a dish.
With Blackthorn there is an initial saline tang on the palate to alert the tastebuds before a deeper, intense celebration of the other flavours shines through, enhanced and spread out. In fact, from cocktails to canapés, the main dish through to desserts and even coffee, a discrete touch of great salt can take the edge off a bitterness or add to the moreishness of umami - it can even highlight the sweetness of sweets.
1 month ago
...And in other news... thank you to @belperbarlow @emma_oneill89 and to today’s papers, (sorry couldn’t get hold of them all!) we were completely overwhelmed🙏
2 months ago
Salter Malky came in today to check the Thorn Tower taps to find shattered glass... super sad and pointless. Not quite the first big day out from home that we’d envisaged for the children, but everyone got stuck in, cleared up, watched the sea and the tower doing its thing, trickling away and put the damage into perspective. The wee Blackthorn carriage has seen x2 world wars, a global pandemic - it will surely see out the odd rock thrown through its windows and, we hope, enter our second #blackthorn year all sparkling and new, much as it did the first... #hope #brightside #why? #pointless #familybusiness
2 months ago
Small and precious, a wee box of Blackthorn sea salt flakes is a thoughtful Mother's Day gift for gastronome or eco-conscious ladies out there who deserve a treat. This will keep making her smile meal after meal and looks pretty. Thank you again to @cheftomhunt for the beautiful and inspiring ferment recipes.
2 months ago
The rugged native blackthorn is spindly, spiky and quite special: despite appearances, our approach to salt-making is not a gimmick or 'game of thorns', but a respectful embodiment of a centuries-old innovation which impressively pitches nature's powers together with wind, sun and thorns working together to dry off seawater.
2 months ago
Salt is part of our Master Salter and founder, Gregorie's soul. With his family rooted in salt since the 1800s, it truly is what makes him tick. It was his drive and unwavering determination to discover a salt that paid heed to our heritage, but would be worthy tomorrow's world that led to his investigation of the old ways of salt making. His curiosity was rewarded when he journeyed across Europe to visit graduation towers and witness just how mind blowing, effective, yet sustainable they really are. But would they work with sea water instead of rock brine? Inspired and sleepless, it was another 12 years before he was satisfied and started to build of our very own Blackthorn Tower here on the West Coast. The first of its kind in the UK, and the first to use seawater, in the world, ever. Gregorie's expertise and vision in all things salt is unparallelled, and Blackthorn Salt is the triumph of his fascinating odyssey.
3 months ago
It goes without saying that salt means a lot to us, but in fact, historically salt was so important that it was used as a form of payment. In Roman times, soldiers were given their wages in salt, and those who were 'not worth their salt' were regarded as being of poor value for money. Thus, the Latin word 'salarium' is where we get the English word 'salary'.
3 months ago
'Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.'
Not that we'd ever hope the seas run dry, however for all things 'love' we naturally defer to fellow Ayrshireman Rabbie Burns. The Scots Bard was born in 1759 in Alloway, just a few miles from our home at Salt Pans Road, at a time when the salt industry was thriving here on the West Coast.
3 months ago
The top of our unique Blackthorn graduation tower, or Thorn Tower, offers a bird's eye view of the beautiful seascape which is not only our constant backdrop and inspiration, but also the source of our single ingredient, pure West Coast sea water for our sustainably-produced salt crystals.
3 months ago