Nordur Salt, sea salt flakes powered by the strength of Iceland
Nordur Salt boils crunchy sea salt flakes on the small island of Karlsey in Breiðafjörður – using nothing but geothermal energy, following an Icelandic process from 1753. Founded in 2012 by two friends, winner of the Red Dot Award, and recognizable by the mermaid.
Nordur Salt is the small Icelandic saltworks with the mermaid in its emblem: On Karlsey, a tiny island off Reykhólar in the legendary Breiðafjörður, two friends have been boiling sea salt flakes since 2012 using only heat from the earth – crunchy, clear, and mild, packaged in a design that won the Red Dot Award in 2014.
A friendship from Aarhus, a saltworks in the fjord
The story doesn't begin in Iceland, but in Denmark: The Icelander Garðar Stefánsson and the Dane Søren Rosenkilde met during their student days in Aarhus – through their wives, as they like to say – and from then on, spent hours discussing how the world could be made a little better.
The answer turned out to be salty: In 2012, the two opened their saltworks in Breiðafjörður, one of the cleanest and most fish-rich waters in Europe – sparsely populated, dotted with bird islands, and far away from any industry. The best seawater, heat from the earth, maximum flavor: that is how the founding idea can be boiled down in one sentence.
The discussions turned into a plan, and the plan into a journey back to Iceland: Garðar knew the fjords of his home, and Søren brought the Danish love for good food and clear design. The fact that the two have remained friends to this day can be tasted in the brand – Nordur Salt never feels like a corporation, but always like a joint project between two people who know why they get up in the morning.
The technology of 1753, powered by the earth
The process behind the flakes is older than the brand: The first saltworks in Iceland to heat seawater with hot thermal water was established back in 1753 – a technique that seemed long forgotten until Nordur brought it back to light. Today, geothermal energy flows through the boiling pans on Karlsey, gently evaporating the brine.
This is how delicate, bright flakes grow, which break between the fingers and crackle audibly – mild, clear, and without any bitterness. No gas, no oil, no shortcuts: the island itself provides the energy, and you can taste it in the flake. Iceland is literally boiling here with its own power.
The detail that connoisseurs love: Thanks to the geothermal heat, the brine boils at around 70 degrees Celsius – much more gently than with classic boiling. In this slowness, the wafer-thin, hollow flakes grow, which break between the fingers like thin ice. Anyone who has once understood that patience is the most important ingredient for good salt flakes looks at every pack of salt differently.
The building also tells the story: Co-founder Søren Rosenkilde designed the 540-square-meter saltworks on Karlsey himself – inspired by Iceland's old trading posts from the period between 1750 and 1850, with weathered wood and large floor-to-ceiling windows. Visitors are welcome to watch the boiling process, while the salt makers look out over the fjord and mountains: transparency, taken literally.
Breiðafjörður itself is a nature reserve – with up to 6 meters of tidal range, extensive kelp forests, and arctic-clear water that gives the flake its mineral character. Back in 1753, this very bay was considered the ideal place for salt making; Nordur has simply taken that old knowledge seriously again.
Five tins, five characters
The assortment at nur Gutes includes the entire range of the saltworks: The pure sea salt flakes in the carton are the award-winning classic, the large metal tin is the same indulgence in a refillable storage format – both crunchy, both mild, both unmistakably Nordic.
Added to this are three unique characters: The Smoked Salt combines Icelandic flakes with Danish smoking artistry and smells like old whisky. The Blueberry Salt mixes hand-picked Icelandic berries into the flakes – fruity-tart and violet-red. And the Lava Salt turns deep black with coconut activated charcoal as a tribute to Iceland's volcanoes: mild in taste, powerful in appearance.
By the way, Iceland is represented twice at nur Gutes: Besides Nordur, Saltverk also boils with pure geothermal energy in the Westfjords – two saltworks, two different approaches, one energy source. Nordur is the design-loving, milder voice of the duo; anyone who tries both will clearly hear the difference. Such comparisons are among the finest things a salt shelf has to offer.
The mermaid and the Red Dot
Nordur is recognizable at first glance: On every package, a mermaid watches over the salt – Nordic, dark blue, a little fairytale-like. In 2014, the design was awarded the Red Dot Award, one of the most important design prizes in the world; the metal tins have long since become small collector's items that are refilled after the last crumb.
Beauty with function: The tins protect the fragile flakes from pressure and humidity, look great in the kitchen next to the stove, and make as much of an impression as a gift as they do on a festive table. Salt, tin, story – at Nordur, everything belongs together.
The mermaid is more than just decoration: In the sagas of the North, she guards the treasures of the sea – and that is exactly what she does here, on every tin, over every flake. A trademark that you can explain to children and want to show to designers: simple, beautiful, worth telling. Anyone who has ever given a Nordur tin as a gift knows that the eyes of the recipient react first, and only then the palate – both for good reason.
And because the tins are refillable, only the contents grow with every repeat purchase, never the pile of trash – the mermaid simply stays on duty. Good design here also means: what is beautiful is kept. A cycle that works on every kitchen counter.
The question remains where to start – and our honest answer: with what you eat most often. Egg lovers start with the pure flakes, grill masters with the smoked salt, dessert souls with blueberry or lava. You can't go wrong, because beneath every color and every scent lies the same patiently boiled flake from Breiðafjörður. Iceland does not forgive shortcuts – fortunately, Nordur doesn't take any in the first place. And if you really can't decide: the tins are small enough to let two characters move in at once – your pantry will thank you, your guests will anyway – and the mermaids will then simply watch over your kitchen in pairs.
Iceland's flakes for your kitchen
What we like about Nordur Salt is this mix of strictness and playfulness: uncompromising craftsmanship, packaged with a wink. The flakes are finishing salts – they go on the dish at the very end, crushed between the fingers: over steak and oven-roasted vegetables, on buttered bread, on a soft-boiled egg, on caramel, and dark chocolate.
Our recommendation for getting started: the carton for the first impression, the mermaid tin for everyday use, plus a character to suit your mood – smoky, fruity, or lava-black. You can find more crunchy relatives in the salt flakes category, smoked seasoning under smoked salt, and the great overview in our world of salt. Iceland is closer than you think – just a pinch is enough!
