Generous mystery donor gives £30,000 to help bring salt harvesting back to Fife

East Neuk Salt Company founder Darren Peattie set up a crowdfunder in September to raise the £28,450 he needed to purchase the bespoke equipment required to produce salt at scale.

With less than a day left, donations were still pouring in. However, it looked like the crowdfunder would have to be extended to reach the £28k target.

It was then Darren received a message about a significant donation.

“She messaged me and said she wanted to give us a generous donation,” he said. “We met up for a chat. Then she told me about the £30,000 donation and I was amazed. It blew my socks off.

“We could have extended the crowdfunder but that pledge will let us ramp up even quicker. It’s life changing.”

In total, 293 people donated money towards the project, pledging more than £22,000 – before the mystery donor pushed the sum over the £52,000 mark.

The St Monans-based business, which has a factory in Leven, will be one of the only hand-harvested producers of gourmet sea salt on mainland Scotland and will produce up to two tonnes of hand harvested salt per month when production is up and running.

It is hoped that production of the salt will begin in January 2021.

Darren’s engineer, who will be assembling the kit, is currently stuck under lockdown in Ireland and unable to return to Fife.

Darren is also organising the rewards for those who donated. A range of exciting rewards were on offer from those who supported the campaign, ranging from meals at some of Fife’s best restaurants, including The Cellar and the Dory Bistro, to a ‘not so secret supper club’ with a concert and meal.

“There are a huge amount of people to thank – but the most important is the people who pledged. We wouldn’t be here without them. I can’t thank them enough for their support.”