I grew up in Blueskin Bay, with many great summers spent swimming, rowing, and sailing in the bay. There’s always so much to do, from walking up and down the beaches, gathering seafood, or simply messing about in boats. My favourite boat was made by my grandfather, a lovely blue Sunburst yacht, and it felt fitting that this should be our logo.

I started Blueskin Bay Salt after being inspired by The Taipa Salt Pig. His story captivated me, and the thought of creating something delicious and being able to spend more time beside the sea was really appealing. Salt is an essential part of our diet, and if we make it locally we can reduce the food miles/CO₂ emissions associated with transporting salt around the country, as most of our salt is produced in Marlborough.

So in 2024 I contacted The Taipa Salt Pig and got some great advice, and after a trip to Bunnings and a trip into someone’s skip for some wood, I created an evaporation pond. Then after a few weeks I harvested my first batch of salt. There was something magical about scooping up pure white salt where once there was seawater, and ever since I’ve been hooked. My goal is to get this project off the ground and sell salt at local farmers markets, bringing our community a tasty and environmentally sustainable salt.

Our family has always had a love of the sea and the beach. My father Andy loved the sea the most, with daily walks along the beaches, harvesting seafood, and reading any book he could find on sailing or the sea. If you went to a restaurant with Andy and chowder was on the menu, you knew what he would be ordering. He passed his love of Blueskin Bay onto all of his children, and I’d love to pass something special from this area onto you.

Part of my desire to start a salt farm is that I keep thinking this would have been something Andy would have loved to do. He was a salt fiend himself, and was known to use a little too much here and there. When I was a kid, Andy and I made a desalination unit to turn seawater into fresh drinking water, a fun experiment that fascinated me. I remember once the process had finished, large salt crystals were left behind. The process I am using to make salt now is essentially the same as back then, a nice way to remember my dad.

Another reason for wanting to create a salt farm is that I feel ready for change, and starting this project and seeing the support from friends and family has been so rewarding and exciting.

So far I’ve made several batches of salt, demonstrating that it is possible and tastes great. I have contacted the relevant rūnaka for the area, and there are currently no objections to me gathering seawater. It was really important to me that I get permission before beginning this project, so it’s a promising start. Next steps in this journey are increasing production by making more evaporator, and doing all the official stuff in order to be able to sell salt. I’m aiming to be selling salt later this year. Come along for the journey and thank you for your support!

Bene