If you've been into the shop at our Saltcote recently you might have noticed we've had a bit of a refit with help from the brilliant @weareterritory , and a few late nights with @smallislandbigcity and @alisonseasalt . More lovely new stock arriving all the time - come and say hello, we're open seven days a week.
For the last year or so, I've been working with some of my favourite people - chefs, nature experts, photographers and writers - on this very lovely project. I'm going to say that really boring thing now: pre-orders really help a book's sales, and the nice people at Waterstone's have selected my almanac for 25% off until this Friday, so please consider buying it now if you think you might like it. You will need to enter “FEB26” at the checkout to receive 25% off RRP.
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Since medieval times, an almanac has been something that predicts, packed with planetary alignments, lucky days, and instructions for you to follow. This fits very neatly into my wish and hope to control, understand and to know what is coming around the headland.
But if we know anything about the world, and in our particular instance the great expanse of sea, the countless shipwrecks will affirm that we have no idea what's coming, almanac in hand or not.
Rather than to predict then, I have written this book to celebrate the turning of the seasons by the sea, offering ways to mark, notice and appreciate them, with a focus on Ynys Môn, the island I am from. Learn to identify seaweed, rockpool life, and seabird eggs. Cook a turbot over fire, and season it with sea salt you harvest yourself. Pick primroses, fig leaves, wild garlic spears, and discover ancient traditions that people have celebrated for millennia.
The allure of a life by the sea, of course, is also defined by our retreat from it when it's too rough, so during the months when the outdoors becomes harsher, I have shared ways to appreciate the inside too. There are classic Welsh recipes as well as simple, joyful crafts like marbling or dyeing hen’s eggs for a happy Easter table.
It is a cliche, perhaps, but it took life to bash me about a bit - the very real experiences of heartbreak, and serious illness of those close to me - before I started to really appreciate my natural surroundings. I am learning to pay attention to the joy of simple things and this book is a nod in that direction, with a reminder that it is all of our responsibility to look after the natural world.
More on all the contributors in the coming months 💕
We believe salt is the most important ingredient in your kitchen. Halen Môn (literally Anglesey salt) is all about bright, clean flavour. Always harvested by hand, always rinsed in brine, always mineral-rich. When you add it to your food, you are literally tasting the pure Welsh seascape.
🔥🌶️ CHILLI SÔS BOSS? 🏴🤝🇹🇷
I went full takeover at @bridgekebabs with my @caernarfonkebabs brothers – family since 1991! 💥 We threw a whole @damaramonuk Fat-Tailed lamb on the döner spit. After a 24hr marinade. That glorious tail fat rendering slowly on top making this kebab a self-lubricating masterpiece. Drip drip drip 💦💦💦💦💦
This is the only Flaming Feasts recipe I didn’t cook over live fire, so I introduced a beautiful subtle smoky hit with a spritz mix of @halenmon Smoked Water, rich stock & sharp vinegar. BOOM!
And the salad? Never a bland side hustle. I handpicked every leaf, veg & herb with Sam @llysiau_menai – making it worthy of the lamb it’s standing beside.
LFG – this is the kind of kebab that could change your life 🤣🤩
Tomorrow, it all goes down – the FINAL EPISODE of #FlamingFeasts 11:30am BBC1 UK-wide baby. YNYS MÔN 💘🫶👌
Diolch xx
A fresh Spring starter or snack to have with drinks. Our Sea Salt with Chilli and Garlic adds welcome heat and a boost of flavour to these bright beans. You can use fresh or frozen broad beans or a mixture of the two – both benefit from double podding which isn’t at all tedious when shared with a kitchen companion or done by yourself as a moment of calm, rewarding focus.
* LAST FEW TICKETS * Halen Môn co-founder @davidhalenmon has found gardening with seaweed to be the biggest game-changer for both his flowers and his vegetables and as a part of next week’s Seaweed Festival you can come and learn how.
Join expert @natalie_chivers from @treborthgarden and discover how seaweed can transform your garden with minimal effort. You’ll leave with plenty of your own 100% natural fertiliser and a new knowledge of how to use seaweed as a fertiliser for years to come.
Thanks @jimmarsdenphotography or the pic.
It’s your last chance to try our limited edition Pure Sea Salt with Charcoal. After spending years as a part of our core flavours it’s time for a mix up and we’re down to our last few pouches.
Here we’ve paired its inky blackness with a bright, citrusy whipped butter and the very best spring veg the season has to offer. Find the recipe online or it’s heading your way in tomorrow’s newsletter.
Double chocolate peanut butter blondies ✨ These blondies have a delicious chewy texture and a deep caramel flavour, studded with both white and milk chocolate, and the swirl of smooth @meridianfoods peanut butter with Anglesey Sea Salt is the cherry on top. Find the recipe on the Halen Môn website.
