THE town of Maldon is synonymous with salt - and known around the world.
From appearing in millions of recipes to having pride of place on tables at restaurants, Maldon Salt is one of those products everyone knows.
Growing up I had seen the products in Sainsbury’s and in the cupboards of friends’ houses.
When moving to Essex, I had seen Maldon Salt featured in the books and documentaries and felt it was upmarket and associated with the finer things in life.
So, when I was invited to go behind the scenes of Maldon Salt for the company’s new competition launch , I grabbed the chance with both hands.
I am also a major salt lick – so I was very invested.
Alongside a small press pack, I visited Maldon's original saltworks at the Downs I place I had walked and parked near many times.
For our tour of the original factory, built in 1850 and recently refurbished in 2024, current owner Steve Osborne made us put on hair nets, and even beard nets, to learn more.
Steve is the fourth generation of Osbournes to own Maldon Salt since his great grandfather James purchased the company and associated land in 1922.
James owned the Rose and Crown pub in the High Street heard about the sale deciding to expand his business.
Steve said the internet and social media have helped the brand develop a global reach, adding: “We had the royal visit back in 2010 and were granted the royal warrant in 2012 and we are so very proud to hold that now thanks to his Majesty the King.
“That has led us to have a sort of global standard of recognition for our export markets in the United States and beyond.”
The brand has developed – but it purposefully has not modernised – with coal being used to boil the salt by as late as 1998.
Salt was never made on a Friday which was delivery day, and Steve said his grandfather was sometimes so enthusiastic about lighting the fire, saying: “the smoke would be bellowing up the chimney with people thinking the place was on fire.”
A few antique old tools of salt making are kept in a single room next to photographs of the Osbornes – with Steve looking the spitting image of all his descendants.
Walking into the next room, its heat spreading into the whole building, Steve gave us a science lesson including how salt is hydroscopic meaning it retracts and absorbes water.
Water is only taken on a spring tide on a New Moon – less scientific sounding – but this is when it is at its most saline.
Then the water is settled for sediment to be removed, and sent through a filtration process before going into the large stainless-steel pans surrounding us.
Impurities are removed in a similar way to jam making before the temperature is reduced before fractional crystallization takes places.
This technique, in the open pan method used centuries ago, is when the pyramids are created, with Steve saying this is because a pyramid is a flattened cube the shape of sodium chloride.
Steve said: “It’s a relatively simple process but the timing and the temperature of the water in the pan is fundamental to making the size and shape of these pyramids – which is our artisanal technique that has been handed down for generations.”
No additives or caking agents are used – unlike table salts – and magnesium and calcium are regularly chipped away.
There are only seven pans in this site and 40 in the other Maldon site, with Steve saying the brand is bigger than their production.
Skilled - Gary was the only allowed to actually deposit the expensive salt from the pans
Worker Gary, who has been at the stie for over 20 years, said how close everyone is as he showed us how he dredges the salt out.
We were also told how Maldon’s low level of rainwater means it is more saline – which is how the salt industry was recorded in the Doomsday Book.
When asked about climate change, Gary said: “That’s our biggest enemy, we never know how things are going to go. We’ve got to take advantage of the summer.
“We have to put in as much water in as we can get, get the water as strong as we can in the barge and our barge can pretty much hold three months of water."
Interactive - The cookey session was extremely fun as we helped as guests but had prepared elements
Following the traditional factory tour, we were then taken to the Michelin award-winning Chef’s Mick Binnginton’s CHEF School of Cookery in Maypole Road in Maldon.
Mick explained to us how Maldon Salt is the top choice from the chefs in this country to France and Japan.
Conversing with each other and Mick, I really enjoyed the timber-framed venue which felt stylish and cosy – not all corporate but those events really this venue.
CHEF offers a range of classes for all abilities with Mick saying: “We do like the small cookery-side of it, but we do chefs tables evening where we cook around the people and actually, I’d say that’s probably the thing that’s more popular."
Mick was extremely charming, joking and calm – nothing like the stereotype of a heated chef – and his five-course menu using Maldon Salt was a masterpiece.
The Maldon chilli salt, a first for me, was used precisely in the extremely fresh tasting heritage tomato tarte – which you could emulate at home but not with its perfect appearance.
The grilled cote de boeuf, which were visible beforehand in huge plastic bags like super-jumbo sweets, was a beautiful cut of beef cooked by a brilliant chef.
The chimichurri was so addictive and though I have tasted this before, notably in supermarket pre-seasoned meat, a fresh version would be brilliant to keep in your fridge.
Refined - The Maldon Salt and hollandise salt make this a buttery and juicy tasting sea bass
Using a whole tub of Maldon Salt and egg whites we all got our hands dirty coating an Essex-caught sea bass and cooking it for less than half an hour.
Salt-baking a fish is something people may see on holiday but apart from its cost – about £7 for a tub of salt – it was easy way to protect, and enhance the fish, which is a favourite of mine.
The next and final dessert was the Maldon Salted toffee tart which stole the show. The salt was an integral part of it having zest.
Zane Chiswell-Rivas, the founder and master distiller of Essex Spirits Company based in Chelmsford, also showed us how to use Maldon Salt in cocktails.
Zane started the business in his grandmother’s garage during lockdown meaning he was celebrating his company, which has bar, fifth birthday.
Proud - Zane said he was proud to use Maldon Salt in his own distilliery and cocktails
He said: “I’m an Essex boy, born and bred and I was really inspired by long standing heritage companies such as Maldon Salt, Wilkinson jams and Mersey oysters.
“I have always felt that Essex gets a few stereotypes. But we've got some world famous some world class food and drinks brands, associates, great bars, great chefs, great breweries.”
Zane said Essex is getting a reputation for grapes in the Crouch Valley and chardonnay.
Showing us his prettily sealed bottles, all of Zane’s spirits contain a pinch of Maldon Salt unusual to the industry.
He said: “As Mick will tell you, he has never not seasoned a dish, and I’ve done taste test without or without the pinch of Maldon salt – it always goes down a bit nicer.”
In a joint demonstration to make an easy spritz, Zane said people mostly associate salt with margaritas which is to take away the bitterness of the lime juice.
Instead, we painted a mix of water and Chelmsford honey with a brush on wine glasses before liberally rubbing salt all over the glass.
Half filled with ice cubs, we then made a gin-based lemon cello with a 3-2-1 ratio with a big splash of prosecco, a smaller splash of gin, and a bit of soda.
The soda can be customised meaning you can get vastly different drinks out of the same bases – a gin spritz is a great easy home-made alternative for classic gin and tonic.
Quality -One of Zane's more wintry cocktails with Maldon Salt seasoned on the dark chocolate
We also tried the lemoncello with and without a pinch of Maldon Salt while we ate our first course of fresh bed doused with Maldon garlic salt and thick butter.
Maldon Salt goes with everything, but I did learn how it can elevate sweet cocktails and desserts as well as typical bread and butter.
At the table, listening to discussions about wedding culture, I did think that how as well as a heritage brand, Maldon Salt is a ‘grown up’ ingredient to have in the home.
Cooking, for me, can get quite mundane, doing it again and again, but part of adulthood is making it better whether through new recipes, different ingredients, or even most simply of all quality salt.
To find out more about Maldon Salt’s Perfect Pyramid challenge closing on October 19 visit https://maldonsalt.com/perfectpyramid/ .
Share