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Browse our shopThe first stages of the Blackthorn journey are wild and solely require nature: West Coast seas and winds.
Reminiscent of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, our imposing tower of thorns sits facing the sea and the mountains of Arran. This spiky structure is incredibly effective as well as being visually impressive: it enables a significant acceleration of the evaporation process required for sea salt production.
Sea water is dribbled through 54 wooden taps and a series of channels which are checked and adjusted daily according to the weather.
The sea water seeps along every twig and thorn, maximising exposure to our powerful and persistent coastal winds (and any sun that might be showing face). The emerging droplets partially evaporate and any remaining liquid becomes a more concentrated brine.
The final stage is all skill and alchemy: we take the now exceptionally salty brine, add our Salters and their intricate knowledge of our salt, some gentle heat and nothing else... at all.
It took years to perfect our unique method of harnessing the wind and sea to ensure we create a better salt, a ‘salt of the world’ as well as ‘for the world’ and one that we are proud of.
Unlike most northern European salt making processes, the thorn tower is completely natural and environmentally sensitive.
Estimated energy required to evaporate 1kg of water