News Release

March 2017

SALT OF THE EARTH

A South African salt, harvested in a sustainable manner from a remote and pristine area of the vast Kalahari Desert has been launched in the UK and is now available.Oryx Desert Salthas already made waves in the South African food scene, being popular with many of its top chefs and foodies who recognise the purity, exceptional taste and flavour enhancing properties. It is stocked by, among other outlets,Harrods, which reports it as one of its best-selling salts. This unique salt is subtle, gentle not harsh on the tongue like some salts, and it enhances flavours.

 Harvested in the desert, it is extracted from an ancient underground brine lake that is fed by three underground streams. The exact destination is a secret; and as this pristine area has never been inhabited or used for industry there is no threat of pollution. The salt water is poured onto a saltpan, sun-dried and then harvested. No other processing or refining is needed, unlike most sea salts.

Company founder Samantha Skyring, on a five-month journey through Namibia and walking 120 km over seven days through the Namib Desert had close encounters with the indigenous Oryx* antelope which became the inspiration for the Oryx Desert Salt brand.

So what is so special about Oryx Desert Salt?This natural, crystal-white salt is unrefined, sun-dried, and free from additives and preservatives. It contains vital minerals and trace elements - perfectly balanced by nature - that are recognised and essential for the body. Chefs from around the world have attested that its gentle, full flavoured taste means they use comparatively less of this pure salt, so the intake of sodium is reduced.

What's more, Samantha and her team believe in giving back to the community, so for every bag of salt sold, a percentage is donated to the‡Khomani San and Mier communities*, who own!Xaus Lodgein the Kalahari Desert.

And sustainability is another thing close to the heart of Samantha Skyring. "We've made our packaging more sustainable, using ceramic grinders and have replaced stick on labels by printing directly onto the recyclable glass bottles and offering refill boxes for the entire range." She says.

 As well as the original pure salt (available in fine or coarse) there are two further salt products as well as Oryx Black Pepper: Oryx Smoked Salt, cold smoked over French oak, and Oryx Wine Salt, infused with Baleia Shiraz red wine. Both of these add a further piquancy and dimension to food. There are smart, top quality, 100g grinders which have a long-lasting ceramic grinding mechanism and are at least ten times refillable, in line with the company's environmentally conscious ethos. Refill packs - 250g - are also available.Available from Harrods and selected high quality grocery retailers, farm shops and delicatessens, prices from around £9.95 and gift packs £24.95.oryxdesertsalt.co.uk

ENDS

For further information, samples and high resolution images, please contactAlison Jee on 020 8744 0744or alison@alisonjee.co.uk

Editor's notes:

*Oryx Gazella can apparently go up to two years without water, but not 2 months without licking salt for the sodium chloride, minerals and trace elements vital for its survival in the harsh conditions of the Kalahari Desert.

• The ‡Khomani San and Mier communities reached an historic land settlement agreement with the government of South Africa and SANParks in May 2002, which restored a large tract of land to the communities that had once roamed or farmed this area. The agreement saw the transfer of ownership of 50 000 hectares of land from SANParks, to the two communities who then leased the given land back to SANParks. It was named the !Ae!Hai Kalahari Heritage Park Agreement. SANParks is responsible for the environmental management of the park, while the land settlement agrees to provide the communities with an allocation of funds for the purpose of constructing a tourism facility to be jointly owned by the two communities.

• Xaus Lodge's luxury Kgalagadi accommodation is situated in the heart of the beautiful Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. This conservation area at over 3.5 million hectares, is almost twice the size of the Kruger National Park. It offers stunning scenery, excellent birding and overpowering silence. This captivating landscape was formed through the amalgamation of The Gemsbok National Park in South Africa and the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. Managed by SANParks, it comprises over 3.6 million hectares making it one of the very few parks left of this magnitude in the world. SANParks is responsible for the development of the Kgalagadi's management plan which is set in place to ensure the conservation and protection of the area as well as its flora and fauna.