Founded in 2011, Jacobsen Salt Co. was the first company to harvest salt in the Pacific Northwest since Lewis & Clark built their salt works in 1805. Since then, it has transformed from a local, small business to a nationally recognized brand as America’s leading salt maker. Harvested from the cold, pristine
waters of Netarts Bay on the Oregon Coast, Jacobsen flake, and kosher sea salts have garnered worldwide favor for their beautiful presentation and pure taste.
Much as a winemaker sources the best grapes possible, founder Ben Jacobsen scoured the Pacific Northwest Coastline for the best tasting water to craft his salt. He started with 5-gallon buckets of water in his Subaru, which evolved into a pickup truck, and to a U-Haul, as he tested waters and perfected his craft.
Ben’s efforts have evolved into a world-renowned operation of hand-harvested excellence and a source of Pacific Northwest pride.
The Jacobsen salt making process: Seawater is first pumped from pristine Netarts Bay, filtered, and stored in a holding tank. Next, the seawater is pumped into large boil tanks where excess minerals are removed and the seawater is reduced to a thick brine. The brine is carefully heated using custom-made pans, creating beautiful flake sea salt. The flakes are gently scooped from the pans and put onto racks for drying. Once dry, every flake of salt is hand-graded and sorted.
After sorting, it’s sent to a Portland facility for packaging and distribution.
Today, Jacobsen Salt crafts top-shelf cooking ingredients, re-envisioning classic products to provide unforgettable culinary experiences. Grounded in craftsmanship and community, their mission is to provide the finest elemental cooking ingredients and kitchen staples that inspire people to cook, eat, and live well. The Chefs’ Warehouse is proud to be the exclusive foodservice distributor for these products across the West Coast region.
