The Most Beautiful Island
By Mai Hong
There’s something quietly breathtaking about Vancouver Island. The rugged coastline, the kind of place that hushes you without asking. Salt hangs in the air, mingling with cedar and wet stone. Forests stretch out to the edge of the sea, and the sea pushes back in waves—wild, cold, alive. It’s where I went with my husband for our honeymoon, and I still think about it when I need to remember what calm feels like.
It’s also where something extraordinary happens to ocean water. From the island’s fast-moving currents—clean, mineral-rich, and in constant motion—comes Vancouver Island Sea Salt. Hand-harvested in small batches, this salt captures the essence of the coast itself: pure, bright, and completely untamed. When used on something sweet, like a cookie, it does what only truly great salt can do—it sharpens, deepens, and amplifies everything else. It’s the final touch. The quiet hero. The detail you didn’t know you were missing, until you taste it.
What Makes Sea Salt Special?
If you’ve ever wondered what sets sea salt apart from regular table salt, you’re not alone. The difference between sea salt and regular table salt is more than just where it’s harvested—it’s in the process, the minerals, and the flavour. Table salt is stripped of most of its natural minerals, often bleached, and filled with anti-caking agents so it can pour easily.
“Table salt is going to be very refined, generally stripped of any sort of trace minerals that might have been there,” says Emily Quesnel, sales manager at Vancouver Island Sea Salt.
Sea salt, on the other hand, is unrefined, naturally rich in minerals, with each batch unique to its origin.
Handcrafted with Care
Vancouver Island Sea Salt is drawn from deep, fast-moving currents off their own two-kilometre private beach. These clean, mineral-rich waters are ideal for salt production. The process is as natural as the ocean itself, designed to preserve the seawater’s purity and unique mineral profile.
After filtration, the seawater is concentrated into brine, then slowly evaporates. What remains are delicate, pyramid-shaped salt crystals.
These crystals are not only visually stunning, they also offer a unique texture for finishing dishes like cookies. The shape holds its form and gives it that perfect crunch.
Every grain is hand-harvested in small batches with great care, preserving their natural shape and form, Quesnel explains.
Canadian Ingredients Make All the Difference
It’s rare to find something as deeply rooted in its place as Vancouver Island Sea Salt. This salt is Canadian through and through.
Quesnel says more bakers and chefs are realizing the value of sourcing locally. “Where there's actual sort of traceability and accountability for the product has just become so much more important.”
So when you bite into one of our cookies, you're not just tasting sugar and butter. You’re tasting a piece of Canada, crafted with care and finished with Vancouver Island Sea Salt. It’s the finishing touch that makes all the difference.
See you in a few days.