Given the role the Menai Strait and the surrounding area plays in Wales’ natural environment, we want to make sure that we do everything we can to have as little an impact as possible on that environment and know that’s important to our customers too.
Alison Lea-Wilson, Co-founder, Halen Môn
Company overview
Halen Môn is a family-owned business located on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales. Set up in 1996, the business manufactures unique and highly regarded Welsh sea salt, plus other complementary ingredients.
Co-founders
David Lea-Wilson and Alison Lea-Wilson - The couple met in 1973 at Bangor University and fell in love with the island of Anglesey. They set up Mona Seafoods in 1978, selling fish in Bangor University student union, and have been working together ever since.
Business purpose
Halen Môn is an internationally recognised business, exporting sea salt harvested in Anglesey around the world.
The company’s products include the popular Pure Sea Salt Variants, Black Garlic Ketchup, Smoked Water, Bloody Mary Ketchup, Salted Caramel Spread and Smoky Barbecue Ketchup.
Halen Môn sea salt carries Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status in Europe, recognising the unique nature of its produce. It also supplies major supermarkets across the UK including Waitrose and Marks & Spencer.
Their products have gone on to make waves worldwide as a foodie’s favourite. Its chocolates were gifted by President Barak Obama to visitors to the White House, while their products were served at the London 2012 Olympics and have been on menus at some of the world’s top restaurants, including The Fat Duck.
In addition to being the heart of Halen Môn’s salt-harvesting business, the visitor centre at Tŷ Halen also provides a shop, education centre, seaweed bathing and a community hub.
Working with us
Halen Môn took the next step in its decarbonisation journey with a £77,000 loan from the Development Bank, via the Welsh Government-backed Green Business Loan Scheme.
The business used the loan to fit the roof of Tŷ Halen with a new 100kw solar panel system. The installation of the new panels and accompanying generation system is estimated to make a carbon saving of more than 380 tonnes (per year).
The new panels are set to make a significant contribution to the centre’s energy needs, while also allowing the business to export excess energy back to the grid. The new PV system was designed and installed by another North Wales business, St Asaph-based Hafod Renewable Energy.
What people are saying
Given the amount of roof space on our saltcote and visitor centre at Tŷ Halen, having solar panels installed at the site to cut our carbon output and our energy bills was an obvious next step, and the support provided via the Green Business Loan Scheme was exactly what we needed.
We are really pleased to have worked with both the Development Bank of Wales and Hafod Renewable Energy to get the new system installed. Given the role the Menai Strait and the surrounding area plays in Wales’ natural environment, we want to make sure that we do everything we can to have as little an impact as possible on that environment and know that’s important to our customers too.
Alison Lea-Wilson, Co-founder, Halen Môn
Working with the team at Halen Môn was a pleasure. They’re one of Wales’ most recognisable brands and this is one of a number of investments the business has received from the Development Bank of Wales, and we’re proud to have supported them with the Green Business Loan Scheme as they progress in their decarbonisation journey.
John Babalola, Assistant Investment Executive, Development Bank of Wales
