What Can You Do with a Swimming Pool of Seawater a Day?

Ferran Adrià of elbulli, once known as the world’s most famous restaurant, uses a tiny flake of a certain salt to dab on his oysters. The Queen of England and her son William have been known to also use this special salt at events as important at May’s royal wedding.

It’s called Halen Mon, and made right here in Anglesey the island at the very top of Wales. We met the man today who began his enterprise by opening a “Sea Zoo,” and wondered if there was anything else he could do with all of the seawater he pumped in and out

to keep more than 600 sea creatures alive and kicking. A swimming pool a day is how much they take in, and from this water, a portion is distilled and dried and turned into the fine Halen Mon sea salt.

Right next to the pristine Menai strait, his small factory looks like a temporary building…soon they will erect a totally green factory with a grass roof and state of the art everything. David and Alison Lea-Wilson run the small business like a family affair, their 14 beloved employees, two Jack Russell terriers and their daughter Alison play crucial roles in the conpany.

Not only does Halen Mon make deliciously tasty flaky and fine grain sea salt. They mix intriguing ingredients in too…vanilla, celery seeds, and they have another that’s smoked over oak.

For centuries people made salt in Wales, and then in 1775, it all stopped. Halen Mon’s creation came about in recent times…and has turned out to be a very good use for all of that seawater they need for the adjacent zoo.