A fifth-generation family business is celebrating 150 years of salt-based success. Founded in 1874, Ayrshire’s Peacock Salt is the UK’s largest salt supplier and creator of Seamix artificial seawater mix with its DEFRA approved formula when combined with tap water creates clean, “sea water on tap” a high-quality, minerally accurate equivalent of British seawater.
The business is now in its fifth generation of being family run, with Managing Director Gregorie Marshall having taken the helm from his father Harley in 2014. Known for being ‘Serious about Salt’, Peacock Salt has seen increased demand for its growing product range, which includes a variety of salts and related products for the aquaculture market. In addition to Seamix, the company supplies products such as hydrated lime, calcium chloride, and water softening solutions. They have over 100 different types of salt for over 14,000 different uses, including the aquaculture sector where is it used by fishmongers, fish processors, aquariums, restaurants and aquaculture practitioners to provide a consistent and quality supply of clean artificial seawater.
The company has changed shape entirely over its 150-year journey – from humble beginnings as a ship’s broker on Glasgow’s River Clyde, Peacock Salt is now the largest salt business in the UK. The majority of its salt products are used for de-icing and winter maintenance on the roads as well as in aquaculture, water softening and food manufacturing, among many other industries. The company is also pioneering use of salt saturators in the Aquaculture industry by automating the largely manual and labour-intensive processes involved in producing salt water both on demand and to a specified salinity.
Gregorie attributes Peacock Salt’s substantial success over the last 150 years to its agility and aptitude for innovation:
“We believe that the future is as important as the past. As we embark on the next 150 years, we remain committed to innovation, excellence, and making a positive impact on our community. That’s what will drive our strategy for the future as we aim to increase and diversify our market share, and to secure a more sustainable future for the company and its employees.”
Gregorie, whose great-great grandfather J.C. Peacock founded the company, has continued to expand and diversify the business since he became MD. The business has recently acquired water softening specialists Firenze in April 2024, allowing Peacock to expand its presence in the south of England, and added Peacock Turfscape to its portfolio in 2022, which provides a range of landscaping materials including locally grown turf from Paisley.
As well as a food grade mixing line with the ability to produce and package mixes bespoke to your recipe, Peacock Salt also recently launched Saltsmith – a reduced sodium salt in response to the looming food sodium content regulations. Products are available in standard or bespoke blends.
For more information, visit www.peacocksalt.com