A short journey through the many faces of England’s fanciest salt

The fine “finishing” salt, preferred by many London chefs, has undergone a very chic rebranding.

Presumably coincidentally, the newly designed Maldon salt packaging places great emphasis on geometry and tiles diamonds over its box-shaped white silhouette in various shades of green. During a photo shoot, the box is styled against a textured pastel pink wall that is heavily based on European holidays. It is southeastern Spain, a Greek island, southwestern Italy. The places that the British are not allowed to visit for their vacation this summer so that nobody forgets.

In many ways, the branding then fits perfectly into the post-Brexit era of the pandemic.

It’s the boldest look yet for the Essex sea salt brand, which originally paired a light green gingham with a lettuce and tomato trim before moving to clean, clean lines green-on-white, then a design with Greek lines that the. imitate sea. And finally, the brand opted for a more rustic, cream-colored box, the central logo of which was flanked by small illustrated salt crystals.

“The bold new look will make us stand out on the shelves, inspire new audiences and hold pride of place on dining tables around the world,” says CEO Steve Osborne. „Our new packaging was designed to respect our rich history and to consider the future of our family business.”

The brand’s strline has evolved with its look and feel:

From: “Maldon Sea Salt
„Pure Flaky Crystals”
The Olney / Grigson era

To: “Sea salt flakes
„purely natural”
The era of Gary Rhodes

To: „The Original”
“Season with substance
„Loved by chefs around the world”
The Ferran Adrià was

Then: “The original
„100% natural handicraft”
The Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall era

Now, in 2021, the brand with the call-to-action: “Seize the Seasoning” has entered the peak age of the hashtag.
The Waitrose Herbal Walk Era

The brown boxes that used to contain the brand’s smoked salt have been swapped for a bold orange, while Maldon peppercorns are given a black and gray color palette.

There is of course an attempt to polish up its environmental friendliness. „We are proud to announce that with every box we produce, we support the World Land Trust and their fantastic work to protect endangered habitats and wildlife,” says Maldon. „All of our boxes are made from carbon-balanced cardboard.”

Maldon / Facebook

While the salt is certainly excellent, it has become a lifestyle. Its success is also ironic: professional chefs use it to refine dishes – and prefer its tenderness and almost sweetness. But if it were used in the same way by the home cook, he would hardly have the liquidity reserves to afford such a rebranding. Or in fact one of the many rebrandings in the last few decades.

One final note on Maldon’s evolution. It advertises a new range of formats – larger tubs as well as the stle boxes. And for the collectors, the homesick traveler or the lunchtime fanatic, there is even now one 1g sachet bag.

Salty.