An Ancient Tradition

our providers

Our providers, Gilles Morel and Matthieu Le Chantoux and their team, are independent salt farmers in Guérande, Brittany. Utilizing traditional salt farming methods, their salt is hand-harvested during the season from June to September. Their innovative operations serve to preserve the local ecosystem of the Més Basin.

At high tide, Gilles and Matthieu use a traditional hydraulic system to channel seawater into the salt marshes and force the seawater to evaporate by making it flow through a circuit. As the sea water evaporates, its salinity rises. They then transport the highly-salinized sea water into the crystallizers where the salt begins to form.

The Sel Marin forms at the bottom of the crystallizers, where it combines with mineral-rich clay. After they hand-harvest the salt, Gilles and Matthieu sift through the crystals and mix them with high-quality, organic herbs – giving it the unique flavors that you taste.

The Fleur de Sel, which forms at dusk, is delicately skimmed from the surface of the crystallizers. Too much wind and it sinks, too many clouds and it cannot form. It is this delicate balance between sun, wind and water that creates these special, treasured white crystals.

Gilles and Matthieu have also been pioneers using the power of solar energy in their process. They have developed a Solar Oven to dry the salt without altering its trace elements. This sustainable process also allows for a longer shelf-life and prolongs the quality and nature taste of the aromatic salts. After harvesting, the salt is not chemically enhanced or altered, meaning there are no preservatives added.

Morel et Le Chantoux pride themselves in harvesting their salt following the traditions of the French Terroir Guérandais and the methods of their ancestors. This, combined with their independent nature, protects the subtle taste and quality of the salts now exclusively available to U.S. consumers.