The first time I met Peter Burt we were sitting in the back row of Newfoundland Culture class in grade ten. We crafted a thrash metal song about unemployment insurance, the cod fishery and life in general in Newfoundland and Labrador during the early 1990's. Needless to say we have shared plenty of adventures since that first chance meeting in 1990.
These days we do not get to see each other as often as we once did with Peter now living back in St. John's, Newfoundland and me in Trenton, Ontario. However during my short visit to Newfoundland this past summer we found a few moments to talk about Peter's latest project, The Newfoundland Salt Company.
Mr. Salty from Dan Williams on Vimeo.
Peter has worked as a chef all over Canada and around the world including in Australia, China and Spain. He has been back home in Newfoundland since 2011 working as a sous chef at Raymond's. Which, by the way, is an amazing place to eat. A few years back, my wife and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary with the tasting menu and wine pairing.
The Newfoundland Salt Company is Peter's baby and he has painstakingly developed his salt production technique through research and trial and error. Both the product and technique are similar to that of Maldon sea salt but with some differences as well. His product is exceptional with a slightly sweet taste that you only get with the finest sea salts and a crunchy texture that makes it a perfect finishing salt for salads, french fries or steaks. This is not your ordinary table salt. The seawater is harvested from the pristine waters of Logy Bay so the final product is natural, organic and very safe.
If you find yourself in St. John's be sure to head on over to the farmers market, say hi to Peter for me and enjoy an authentic Newfoundland treat from the Newfoundland Salt Company.