Since we started The Salt Box in 2017, we have strived to bring people together through a shared love of food, whilst also reconnecting people with what’s on their plate.
We are committed to strengthening our local food community and do our very best to support our fellow independent businesses.
Read on to find out more about our approach to food.
We focus on cooking with what the land provides us, moving with the bounty of the seasons. Root to fruit and nose to tail – this is the foundation in which we craft our menus.
Mother nature had this all sorted long before we came along. Seasonal ingredients are fresher, haven’t had to travel far, and keep our money in the local economy. To us, it’s a no-brainer.
Food ought to be simple and ours is, seasoned with smoke and a few select spices.
Our fires are the engine room of our fire cookery courses, fuelled by sustainably harvested wood from Sussex based Andrew Heard Firewood. We embrace traditional, nomadic fire cooking techniques which add a unique complexity of flavour and texture to our dishes.
Our courses engage all of the senses, and our guests love the immersive nature of food being cooked over fire. Feeling the warmth of the fire, the smell of the smoke, the sparks and the crackles.
We rely heavily on the quality of the produce, engaging with the farmers, growers and makers of Surrey. Supporting our local community to feed the local community.
Empowering people with the knowledge they need to live a wilder, healthier, happier life in tune with nature – sourcing ingredients from the natural larder with as little impact on the environment as possible.
We focus strongly on wild game, an underrated, healthy, ethical and environmentally friendly food that we carefully and responsibly source from local estates with respect to the game seasons.
The Salt Box has a nose to tail and root to fruit ethos, which means our menus don’t always contain prime cuts of meat and fancy ingredients. We like to get creative and utilise as much of a plant, fruit or animal that we can.
When sourcing meat, we work solely with farmers and local butchers with the highest welfare standards.
It’s incredibly important to us to honour the whole animal – so we curate menus that inspire others to go home and try new dishes with lesser known cuts. And for those people to inspire their friends in the hope that in time no part of any animal will go to waste.
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We embrace an open kitchen at all our experiences, with plenty of opportunities to ask questions and chat to our team.
As we make our way through the course our chefs will provide a little insight into the story behind each dish, whilst also sharing helpful tips on delicious accompaniments.
It’s an opportunity not only to provide 100% transparency of our processes, but to engage with our guests who are often just as excited to eat as they are to find out the secrets to how it was prepared. What you see is what you get.
For us, food is for sharing and is at the heart of any memorable event. At all of our course, you’ll be seated with fellow students on our woodland sharing tables. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you’re with all your pals, and you might even leave with some new ones!
Through our shared experience, we hope that breaking bread with a stranger necessitates practising the art of building new relationships. Some of the very best friendships can come out of situations like this, and watching our guests form new bonds throughout our events always brings a smile to our faces!
We’re lucky to have welcomed a really eclectic mix of people to our events, all bringing something unique to the table. No matter where we are, watching our feasters forge new friendships over a meal never grows old.
It’s incredibly important to us to do our bit for the environment.
We are fully committed to minimising our environmental impact in all of our processes, from sourcing products locally to minimising waste. We aim for the highest welfare and sustainability standards, encourage packaging that is environmentally friendly and food that is ethically sourced.
Our courses are best suited for flexible, adventurous eaters with a strong focus on seasonally and locally inspired ingredients, including wild and foraged foods sourced from nature’s larder.
Due to the nature of our events and in order to uphold high-quality standards we are only able to accommodate very limited dietary requests at cookery courses. Find out more here.
