Pictured: Tim Norwood harvesting seawater. Courtesy of: Tim Norwood and Tripod Photography

Tim Norwood is on a mission—a mission to bring a little bit of Florida flavor to every bowl and plate in town. Operating out of Bradenton, Norwood and his fledgling company, Sea Salt Florida, are making the most out of our beautiful beaches and pristine waters, harvesting salt straight from the ocean and capturing each locale’s singular flavor profile for a series of gourmet sea salts that take “local flavor” to its literal end.

Harvesting seawater from select beaches on Siesta, Lido, St. Armands, Longboat and Anna Maria islands, each place has its own distinct taste, largely due to mineral variation, and this is what Norwood hopes to capture, with each product labeled according to where the salt was harvested. “Like a bottle of wine,” said Norwood. “If it’s made in Bordeaux, it’s going to say Bordeaux on the bottle.”

Formerly an engineer by trade, Norwood took inspiration from a trip to the Pacific Northwest, where local vendors sold local salt. “Before I knew it, I was developing my own equipment and my own method,” said Norwood. Accordingly, his process reflects the engineer mindset—carefully calibrated, tested and tech-friendly. Not only harvesting at select locations, Norwood draws water at specific points in the tide to achieve the desired salinity. Then it’s home, to a series of custom-made apparatus that filter and condense the water, before separating the crystals. “It’s all a lot of temperatures and timing,” said Norwood.

After a year studying the craft, he opened Sea Salt Florida just weeks ago. “People are embracing me and what I’m doing,” said Norwood, who has expanded his enterprise beyond simple sea salt, crafting gourmet creations such as Whiskey Barrelwood Smoked Portabella Mushroom Longboat Key Sea Salt and the already popular infusions, including Pinot Noir Sea Salt, and even exfoliants (non-edible). By this time next year, Norwood hopes to expand to 25 employees and take Sea Salt Florida national.

“I feel like I’m creating something this community can be proud of,” said Norwood, “because it’s going to be ours.”

Pictured: Tim Norwood harvesting seawater. Courtesy of: Tim Norwood and Tripod Photography