At &Salt, we asked a simple question: if salt is one of the ingredients we use every day, why have we accepted ordinary standards for so long?
There is something curious about the way we choose the objects that fill our homes. We spend weeks deciding on a dining table, searching for the right lamp or investing in a coffee machine that will last for years. We happily pay more for good olive oil, carefully roasted coffee or handmade ceramics.
Yet one of the most frequently used ingredients in every kitchen rarely receives the same attention. Salt is almost invisible. We reach for it without thinking, use it several times a day and rarely ask where it comes from, how it is made or whether it could simply be... better.
Its a time to rethink the salt and blend we use so far
Perhaps familiarity has made us accept compromise. Salt arrives in small plastic bags that are quickly thrown away. Disposable grinders work until they don't, then quietly become another piece of waste. Seasoning blends often contain preservatives, flavour enhancers or anti-caking agents that many of us never intended to buy in the first place.
None of these choices feels particularly significant on its own. But together they shape one of the products we use more than almost any other.
The products we use every day deserve a higher standard
At &Salt, we didn't set out to reinvent salt. We set out to question everything around it. We began with a belief that has guided every decision since: the products we use every day deserve a higher standard than the ones we use only occasionally. Everyday objects have the greatest influence on our lives, precisely because they become part of our routines. Improving them doesn't transform a single moment. It quietly improves thousands of them.
Sea salt quality is the main factor
That thinking led us first to the ingredient itself. We searched for exceptional quality before thinking about packaging or design, eventually choosing sea salt sourced from Australia and refined in Belgium to the highest international standards. With a purity exceeding 99.8% sodium chloride (NaCl), and certified to BRC, IFS, ISO 14001 and Kosher standards, it is naturally free from additives and artificial ingredients.
Not because purity sounds impressive, but because good ingredients should never need to hide behind anything else. Exceptional sea salt becomes a clean foundation upon which every herb and spice can express its own character.
Once the salt met our standards, everything around it suddenly seemed worth reconsidering. Why should something used every day arrive in disposable packaging? Why should a grinder become waste simply because the salt has run out? Why do so many seasoning blends rely on unnecessary additives when carefully selected herbs and spices already offer everything they need?
This what makes &Salt unique
- Instead of single-use plastic packaging, we chose a generously sized 210 ml refillable glass jar designed to remain in the kitchen for years rather than weeks.
- Instead of short-lived plastic grinding mechanisms, we selected durable ceramic, made for thousands of turns rather than a handful of meals.
- Instead of creating blends with flavour enhancers, preservatives or artificial ingredients, we returned to what we consider enough: exceptionally pure sea salt combined with natural herbs and spices.
- Even the larger capacity was a deliberate choice. A jar that lasts longer means fewer purchases, fewer packages and a quieter, more thoughtful way of consuming something we use every day.
The best gifts are rarely the most expensive
Over time, we realised we weren't only redesigning a pantry staple. We were also changing the way people thought about giving it. Salt has carried meaning for thousands of years. Across cultures it has symbolised friendship, trust, hospitality and lasting relationships. It is one of the oldest gifts in human history - not because it was extravagant, but because it was essential. That symbolism still feels surprisingly relevant today.
They are the ones that quietly become part of everyday life, used again and again until the occasion that brought them into the home becomes a lasting memory rather than a forgotten moment.
The flavour is what stands out
When cookbook author Beata Nicholson first tried &Salt, her reaction captured exactly what we had hoped to create:
"A truly wonderful product. You can immediately feel the quality. I especially love the generous amount of parsley and paprika. And I have to praise the grinder—it's exceptionally well made."
What stood out to her wasn't just the flavour. It was the overall sense of quality—the generous amount of herbs, the beautifully crafted ceramic grinder and, above all, the feeling that every detail had been considered with care.
What makes &Salt different
The answer isn't a single feature or a marketing claim. It's a series of decisions made with the same question in mind: if this is something we use almost every day, why shouldn't it be the very best we can make?
Better salt. Better ingredients. Better materials. Better packaging. Better longevity. Better value. Not because everyday things need to become luxurious, but because they deserve to be thoughtful.
In the end, we don't believe that good design is about adding more. We believe it's about removing compromise. Sometimes improving everyday life begins with something as simple as the last ingredient you add to a meal. And perhaps that's enough.