Claire’s unique sea salt part of Granny Shaw’s ‘Flavours of the North’ chocs

Unique Mussenden Sea Salt that’s being harvested from the Antrim coastline by Claire O’Kane (45), a Coleraine-based entrepreneur and passionate environmentalist, is one of the local products being handcrafted by Glen Houston, who runs Granny Shaw’s artisan confectionery enterprise in Ballymena with Rhonda, into luxury Belgian chocolates that he’s named “Flavours of the North’.

Northern Ireland’s only producer of sea salt for cooking and as an ingredient for other food products, Claire is understandably “delighted” to be included in Glen’s luxury gift box, saying: “It’s marvellous recognition of the quality of my sea salt and a great marketing tool. I am keen to see my sea salt used in other local products. I am encouraged by the added recognition that this gift box brings.”

The salt is also being used as an ingredients by local celebrity chef Paula McIntyre, a resident of the coast, in her culinary creations.

Chocolatier Glen has collaborated with Boatyard Distillery in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh; Hinch Distillery in Ballynahinch, Co Down; Two Stacks Irish Whiskey in Newry, also Co Down; Mrs Smyth’s Conserves from Belfast; Burren Balsamics of Richhill, Co Armagh; and Irish Black Butter, Portrush, Co Antrim in the creation of the gift box that’s now on sale here especially at local food markets.

Glen explains: “It made sense to develop the luxury box to highlight the quality and innovation of the many products from smaller companies in particular.

“I wanted to showcase the originality and excellence of our food and drink to local people and, in particular, to visitors to our shores. Claire’s Mussenden Sea Salt is a great example of local enterprise. My hope is that visitors will take the flavours of Northern Ireland home to enjoy wherever they come from.”

Claire harvests the sea salt by hand from the rugged coastline where the Atlantic merges with the Irish Sea and from stunning beaches such as the Downhill Strand, one of Northern Ireland’s Blue Flag sandy stretches. She collects the salt herself in glass jars for a limited amount of processing at a small plant in Coleraine.

Claire’s focus on this innovative business is on developing the project without adversely impacting the precious marine environment.

She decided to set up her first food business from her experience of sea salt producers outside Northern Ireland.

Many of the world’s top chefs count on sea salt for richer flavours. The Irish Republic, for instance, has successful sea salt operations including Achill Island Sea Salt in Co Mayo and Duvillaun, a small business on the remote Black Island, also off the Mayo coastline

Claire, a graduate psychologist with extensive experience in personal development., launched the small enterprise on the back of research into the sea salt sector and the extent of the market opportunity here. She had always been keen on running her own business and decided to develop her research into a novel small enterprise.

She has also been influenced by international research showing that sea salt is purer and stronger than conventional table salt and so requires less for meals and can, therefore, contribute to a salt reduction.

“I had seen sea salt being used regularly in other parts of the world and subsequently decided to explore the potential for a product harvested along the Causeway Coast,” she continues.

Claire adds that she was also influenced by the water quality around the region, which “is exceptionally clean because of its unique geographic location in the dynamic, fresh and invigorating coastal waters of the Atlantic and the Irish Sea”.

This meant that the very pure salt required a limited amount of processing.

“Harvesting and processing are carried out by hand to ensure a perfect and fully traceable sea salt,” she adds.

The salt had been thoroughly tested and passed all requirements.

Research also showed that sea salt is the least refined with no added preservatives, anti-caking agents or chemicals: “Our production ensures minerals such as potassium and essential enzymes are preserved. Our process also ensures flakes with a distinctive texture and richer flavour,” she adds.