Project Local: Opito Bay Salts Co.

At Volare, we’re drawn to producers who take their time and care deeply about the small details. Opito Bay Salts, based in the Coromandel, is one of those partners.

We’ve been quietly stocking their Salts in our stores and online for a while now as part of our pantry staples. Their finishing salts are a natural fit for the Slow Rise Club, simply made with patience, and designed to slow you down just enough to savour what’s in front of you.

These are finishing salts. A pinch over buttered sourdough, a steak, or even just good toast is often all you need. They’re not there to do the heavy lifting, they’re there to bring everything into focus.

We asked Perry and Erin from Opito Bay Salts a few questions about how it all began, the slow process behind their salt, and what drives them.

What first sparked the idea to start making sea salt in Opito Bay?

“We love the beach here in Opito Bay. Perry’s been coming to Opito Bay for decades. It’s pretty close to perfection. Opito Bay looks out to the Mercury Islands and is fringed by islands and reefs. It’s a thriving ecosystem with shellfish, fish and marine mammals. It’s sunny mostly and it’s a great place to swim, surf, snorkel and fish. We both love it and we love food. So when we decided to give up corporate and city life it was an obvious choice.”

For people who haven’t tried artisan sea salt before, what makes your salt different from standard table salt?

“Wow, I guess everything. The way natural sea salt tastes is so different. It’s minerally and oceanic. Secondly the way it makes food taste. You get a longer more pronounced saltiness as the differently sized crystals melt at different rates on the palate creating a more flavoursome experience. Whilst our natural Opito Bay sea salt has around 6–7% mineral content compared to table salt or rock salt with about 1% you can actually taste the difference.”

Your process is incredibly hands-on and slow. What does a typical day at the salt farm actually look like?

“Over summer we are super busy — water is harvested every 5–6 weeks and slowly evaporates. Harvesting the water we have to get the sand, tides, wind and swell right to be able to harvest and it can take up to 16 hours to fill all the greenhouses. We check the farm daily and make sure it’s all going to plan. The really exciting part is the last couple of weeks where the sea salt has increased in salinity to a point where we get snowflake like crystals forming on the surface (fleur de sel) which then aggregate more salt from the water and sink to form small cuboid crystals. Once all the water is gone — we harvest the sea salt.”

You’ve picked up a huge number of awards over the years. Was there a particular moment where you realised people were really connecting with what you were making?

“Our very first year was a bit of a whirlwind. Neither of us had any experience in the food or retail food world. We just had passion and an idea. People connected with the idea at first but now I think the product really resonates with all kinds of consumers from foodies to folk who actually want natural sea salt. Our first awards were a real validation we were on the right track.”

How much does living in the Coromandel shape the way you approach the business and the products you create?

“Living in Coromandel is the best and worst thing honestly. We are 3 hours away from our major markets and hubs of Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton. So getting to weekly farmers markets or events can be tricky. Weather can be an issue and has been over the last 5 years with summer storms having a big impact on roading and access. But we live in a glorious place and the community here is amazing.”

We love that your salts feel simple but elevated. What are your favourite ways to use them at home?

“Gosh. I like to keep it simple. Kampot black pepper sea salt on a steak, black garlic sea salt on green beans or sweetcorn with a knob of butter. Erin has chilli sea salt on a poached egg every morning… I really love the fennel and thyme on a roasted potato.”

A pinch of their natural sea salt over a thick slice of buttered Volare sourdough is one of our favourite ways to enjoy it too.

How much does living in the Coromandel shape the way you approach the business and the products you create?

“Living in Coromandel is the best and worst thing honestly. We are 3 hours away from our major markets and hubs of Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton. So getting to weekly farmers markets or events can be tricky. Weather can be an issue and has been over the last 5 years with summer storms having a big impact on roading and access. But we live in a glorious place and the community here is amazing.”

What have been some of the biggest lessons (or surprises) that come with building a small food business in New Zealand?

“I guess firstly it’s a massive amount of work. When you make the product and then turn it into food it seems like running two businesses. It would be easy to grab processed sea salt and flavour it… but that’s not what we are about. We care about how the sea salt is made, its provenance, and the quality of the minerals in the salt that create a different flavour experience. We are also surprised by the amount of mislabelling that goes on. I wish natural sea salt meant that it was completely natural and unprocessed. Lastly though there’s immense satisfaction in creating something no one has done before in the NZ environment.”

What’s next for Opito Bay Salt? Any new flavours, ideas, or plans you’re excited about?

“We have plans to make our sea salt more accessible to more people and hopefully you’ll see that mid-year. As for flavours we have a number of salt flavours we are testing right now. Watch this space.”

Opito Bay Salts are available in our stores and online as part of our pantry staples — Natural Sea Salt, Black Garlic, and Fiery Red Chilli.

A small detail that makes good bread (and good mornings) even better.