Michelle harvests now healthy food products from her Down coastline

Michelle Wilson loves foraging the Co Down shoreline for edible seaweed, now seen as a healthy superfood, for her small business in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland’s fishing and seafood hub.

The seaweed, particularly nori, a species of algae, a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine, is being developed by Michelle in her Crawford’s Rock enterprise for an impressive range of handcrafted artisan foods that have won major awards for quality and outstanding taste.

Michelle’s small batch food products include an extensive portfolio of seasonings, salts, oils and seaweed shots for smoothies and juicing. In addition, she produces a unique seaweed bath for luxury hotels in the area and a natural soap.

There’s also seaweed capsules which she refers to as ‘vitamin sea’ and a range of seaweed teas including peppermint, nori chai, lemon detox, and a goodnight tea. She’s certainly demonstrating the versatility of local and natural seaweed.

Michelle established Crawford’s Rock seaweed company in 2018 from the experience and heritage of her husband’s family which has foraged part of the Down coastline for the seaweed that’s commonly called laver or nori for generations. Nori is known in Down as ‘sloke’, a dark black seaweed that is wrapped round sushi rolls for a tasty dish in Japan.

With seaweed now bang on trend, Michelle has brought the tradition of foraging for it up to date in her entrepreneurial and innovation-led Crawford’s Rock business named after a landmark rock just off where Derryogue Harbour used to be. She took the identity Crawford’s Rock after the craggy landmark rock.

The mother of four, a native of the Kilkeel area, dries and processes the seaweed she harvests from the shore near the harbour that’s close to the home she shares with husband Gareth and family.

“I spend a couple of days every week checking the seaweed on the shore at low tide especially for sloke,” Michelle explains: “It’s also a great way to clear the head and enjoy invigorating sea breezes. Many of the ideas for new products have evolved during the foraging. This is something my husband’s family has done for generations. They have the right to do so as Trustees of the Shore.”

“Kelp and rock laver have been used in the past in the Mournes and other coastal communities as a natural cure and remedy for coughs and colds in autumn and winter,” she adds. Seaweed was also once distributed to farmers in the Mournes for agricultural purposes. Michelle’s great grandfather distributed the seaweed to local farmers for agricultural purposes. With seaweed now on trend with health conscious foodies in particular, she has revived the tradition of foraging seaweed with novel products.

Michelle, who has a degree in dementia studies, gave up a lengthy career in the NHS in 2018 to pursue her passion for healthy food which is now widely accepted as having an influence on mood and mental health. Michelle, urthermore, has an interest in naturopathic medicine which also influences her small business.

With seaweed popular with health conscious foodies in particular, the enterprising businesswoman is also expanding the venture with a new

purpose-built kitchen for product development.

The company’s seaweed seasonings are now creating growing interest beyond Kilkeeel and were acclaimed this year at the influential UK Guild of Fine Food Awards and at the Blas na hEireann Irish National Food Awards. Expert judges at Blas named the company’s garlic and rosemary seaweed seasoning the ‘Best New Product’ 2020’.

“It was marvellous to receive this recognition. I was thrilled when I heard that the seasoning had won such an important award at Blas. Both awards are massive endorsements of our products and a tremendous encouragement for me as I seek to expand our sales especially at this immensely difficult time for everyone here,” she continues.

Michelle says that the health benefits of eating seaweed are now “well-known and widely accepted”. “Seaweed is rich in iodine to support thyroid function, is a good source of vitamins and minerals and can help to delay hunger. It may reduce heart disease and cuts down on the risk of type 2 diabetes by improving blood sugar control.

“Seaweed is full of minerals and vitamins and is now regarded justifiably as a superfood the world over. Seaweed is now recognised as an incredibly high- energy and low-calorie food,” she adds.

Crawford’s Rock is now at the core of a thriving industry, organising foraging courses on the shore and culinary workshops to encourage more people here to cook with natural seaweed. A pocket-sized cookery book has been produced to demonstrate the versatility of seaweed as a culinary ingredient and how it can be used for cures and remedies.

Michelle has successfully transforming one of the most natural foods into a highly innovative small business. She is also considering the export potential of the product in markets such as Japan.

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