She Sells Sea Salts By The Jar
Island Seas Salt makes a great gift for foodies. Photo courtesy Isand Sea Salts
Shauna-Lei De Reis, owner of Island Sea Salts, has the perfect gifts for those who love to cook or foodies in general.
To spice up your life, Island Sea Salts specializes in infused sea salts for cooking. According to De Reis, the price of a jar averages $8.
“The idea came about around this time of year three years ago,” she says. “I started giving infused sea salts as gifts to family and friends for Christmas, and Island Sea Salts became an official business in 2010.
“The concept of our business is to make a handmade product locally in Hawaii that is used to enhance the flavors of everyday home cooking. We also have unique flavors such as Bloody Mary, which is our family favorite. Bloody Mary basically consists of all the ingredients in a typical Bloody Mary drink – minus the vodka. It has tomato juice, pepper sauce, lime, chili, horseradish, celery, salt, etc.”
A 1999 graduate of Maryknoll High School, De Reis obtained a degree in fashion design from Honolulu Community College before going back to school at Kapiolani Community College to study culinary arts. She currently holds a full-time job at Sheraton Waikiki in addition to running her own business with the help of her mother, Rita Luke.
“I just want to share my love of food and culinary arts through simple, affordable and quality products,” De Reis adds. “Our clientele is primarily locals, but we recently have been receiving business from all over the world.”
Island Sea Salts are available for purchase at Bed, Bath & Beyond in Aiea, and Island Keepsakes at 1050 Nuuanu Ave.
De Reis believes small businesses definitely have their advantages.
“By staying small we are able to be flexible with our product line and quickly adjust to customer feedback,” she says. “Right now, we’re just trying to get through the Christmas season, and receiving compliments from our return patrons makes the hard work and lack of sleep all worthwhile.”
Looking ahead, De Reis has high hopes for Island Sea Salts. She plans to experiment with other flavors and expand the product line by adding sauces, dressings and more.
“I also would like to expand our business and feature our products on the Mainland,” this Mililani native states.
De Reis still considers herself fairly new to the entrepreneurial world, but she does have a bit of advice for budding entrepreneurs hoping to make a name for themselves in the market.
“Don’t hold back! Go for your dreams, but have patience,” she says.
For more information, visit islandseasalts.com, call 550-0996 or 877-550-0966 or like Island Sea Salts on Facebook.
