SMALL BATCH LOCAL SEA SALT GOES KOSHER
ORIGINAL NYC ROOFTOP SALT FARM GAINS OU KOSHER CERTIFICATION
Urban Sproule, makers of locally grown rooftop sea salt, Rooftop Raw & Local, has received kosher certification for its sea salts from the Orthodox Union, the world’s largest and most respected kosher certification agency.
Urban Sproule is a small company started by Sarah Sproule in the summer of 2012. After noticing a gap in the local food market, Sarah started experimenting with making her own sea salt. What started as a fun hobby quickly became a working business, consisting of weekly meet ups with local fishermen Glenn and Charlie from a small Long Island fishery –American Pride Seafood.
“We are ecstatic to gain such a prestigious certification and to be able to call ourselves the first Rooftop Raw & Local kosher sea salt available in the market,” Sarah said. “Working with the Orthodox Union has been a great experience. Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, vice president of communications and marketing, believes in our product, saying: ‘There is a story to tell!’ We at Urban Sproule are so grateful that such a respected world renowned organization can pay such attention to small companies; this is an encouragement to all small businesses seeking certification.”
“Gaining OU Kosher certification further reinforces the consumer confidence in our sea salt and opens a larger market to a small start-up urban farming business,” Sarah added. “Our sea salt is made entirely by hand, with help from the sun and wind; from the gathering of the ocean water through evaporation and crystallization each grain of salt is grown with care.”
“They gather our water 30 miles east of Montauk, where they fish for the freshest fish in the farmers market. I used to do this myself but figured I would partner with local fishermen to really get this locally made sea salt business off the ground,” she further explained. In early fall 2012 Urban Sproule acquired a rooftop in midtown Manhattan and began construction of small “salt- houses” and eventually built a larger 8’x12’ Salt House to meet the public’s demand. Urban Sproule currently features five different sea salts; all infused salts use local farm ingredients.
During their short time in business Urban Sproule has partnered with Oak Grove Plantation, Lucky Dog Farm, S&SO Farm, Berried Treasures Farm and Butterfield Farm, all located less than 150 miles from New York City. “I love that I can put such confidence in a local product, only to find that buying their salt means supporting at least five additional local family run farms and a Long Island Fishery,” says an avid New York City Greenmarket shopper and local foodie.
For further information, contact Sarah Sproule at {encode=”urbansproule@gmail.com” title=”urbansproule@gmail.com”} or visit www.urbansproule.com.
OU | Enhancing Jewish Life