Oh fudge…
Ten years ago when Bonnie Halliday couldn’t find any cold smoked rock salt in Melbourne she began making her own.
In her heavy duty steel and oak smoker, Bonnie cold smoked everything she could get her hands on; cheese, meat, nuts, fish, honey and of course salt which became smalt.
And then one day Bonnie discovered the thing that tasted really, really, really good with cold smoked salt – fudge.
All of a sudden she’d cut down her regular job to 2 days a week and was selling SMALT fudge from a market stand, running smoking workshops and wholesaling to businesses.
Fair Food was one of Bonnie’s customers and for the past eight years whenever she delivered her fudge she always brought some for the Fair Food crew.
I remember the first time I tried SMALT fudge. It was 2016 and this is what I wrote…
Oh my God fudge! Was there ever a more onomatopoeic food? I’ve eaten half the pack and had to ask for it to be taken away to another part of the warehouse before I slipped into a salty fudge coma. My mind is swimming in a fug of smoky, salty, sweetness and I’m struggling to articulate thanks to Bonnie for discovering such a thing.
About a week ago Bonnie wrote letting us know the sad news that after ten years she was winding up SMALT.
Here’s Bonnie’s email….
Hello Shell and the team at CERES Fair Food!
I am writing to firstly thank you for your continued SMALT support – it’s truly been humbling and thoroughly appreciated.
SMALT has seen a decade of ups and downs – thankfully mostly ups!
There’s been so many opportunities, wonderful local support and collaborations – however, I feel I am ready for a bit of long service leave!
I wanted to let you know personally, that I am super grateful for your continued support over the years, as you can imagine, the decision wasn’t an easy one to make.
There has been a very evident financial impact on so many small businesses in the last couple of years, due to the rise in the cost of living.
Contributing to that, the substantial increase of the cost on all ingredients has hit hard.
This has reduced our ability to keep both our wholesale and retail prices affordable and sustainable.
In addition to the aforementioned reasons, this small business is based in a home kitchen.
The annual council registration amount was almost impossible to pay, sadly SMALT is no longer a sustainable endeavour to continue.
All our customers will be notified via an Instagram and Facebook post this afternoon. So very cathartic.
I am looking forward to this next chapter involving much more time to focus energy into many other positive and nourishing pastimes, study and adventures!
I truly hope your business is booming and hope that you are thriving! 🙂
Sincerely, thank you and chat again soon!
Bonnie Halliday.
Co-founder and artisan producer – SMALT.
We take our caps off to you Bonnie for making a unique product we all loved.
We are floored by your generosity, even when times were tough
We respect your creativity and determination to build a business from nothing
And we admire your decision to call time so gracefully
We wish you the best with whatever you do next
I just looked in the webshop saw we have 22 of the last bags of SMALT Caramel Fudge Pieces at the warehouse.
Savour them and say a little thanks to Bonnie and her smoker.
Have a great week
Chris
