A salt producer walking the pans toward the barn, Figueira da Foz, Portugal
Our Mission

Supporting local farmers, restoring the region's trade and bringing the salt gardens back to life.

Why Silva Salt exists

To see the salt gardens glisten once again

By bringing our artisanal sea salt to you, we're providing a sustainable income to local farmers and reviving a regional industry that deserves to thrive.

Archival photograph of workers harvesting the salt pans of Figueira da Foz, carrying salt by the basket

Since the 11th century

The same way for generations

The earliest record we have of salt produced in our region dates back to the 11th century, although it likely goes back to early medieval times. At its peak, the region had over 1,000 salt pans, and demand for this commodity seemed insatiable.

Archival photograph of the salt harvest in the pans of Figueira da Foz, Portugal

In modern times

The current reality

The salt pans of Figueira da Foz used to be full of life. Where once over 150 salt farmers worked, now we have fewer than 15. Despite the uniqueness of our salt, salt farmers are struggling to find new customers and market themselves competitively to make ends meet. Most people have given up this seasonal job, favouring a stable income.

A producer raking salt in the pans, Figueira da Foz

Our Commitment

Supporting the farmers

We pay farmers a fair price for their hard graft, providing an income that can sustain them all year long. This means they can hire temporary workers to support them with the hardest tasks (such as carrying salt to the warehouse), maintain their salt pans in good condition, and take pride in their craft and pass it on to the next generation.

Artisanal Sea Salt£9.00

Then & now

Keeping the craft alive

Archival photograph of workers carrying salt from the pans by the basket, Figueira da Foz
ThenWhole families worked these pans through the summer, the salt moving by the basketful.Figueira da Foz, Portugal
A salt pan left to the reeds and the tide, Figueira da Foz
NowElsewhere, a pan left to the tide, its walls gone soft with reed.

Over the last century many of the pans were abandoned, as steadier work drew people away. Those that remain call it a labour of love, and you only have to visit the region to understand it. The slow pace of life, the way people come together and the scenery are idyllic. We are working on attracting a new workforce, showcasing the potential of a career as a salt farmer.

Working salt pans with fresh pyramids of hand-harvested salt drying in the sun, Figueira da Foz

The dream

To see the salt gardens glisten

That is the dream, said plainly and held loosely. If enough serious cooks choose salt made the slow way, more pans come back to life and more producers stay in the craft.

Silva Salt cannot promise it. But every jar sold is a step toward it.

Daniel Silva as a boy in his grandfather's salt farm, Figueira da Foz

Daniel, our founder

We currently source salt from José and my uncle Paulo. I have known them both since I was little, and we share so many summer memories. As a child making makeshift toys out of tins, or fishing for crabs, and as a teenager helping with some of the more arduous tasks.

Launching Silva Salt feels like the passing of their legacy, and I am delighted to carry what started with my grandfather.

Silva Salt jars on the salt pans, Figueira da Foz

Your role

Try the salt and spread the word

Our salt is the expression of our way of life, slow and uncomplicated, the essence of what nature provides. This is why we say we are a pinch above the rest, and we would love for you to try it.

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