About Us
“Without salt the feast is spoiled”
- Polish Proverb
Salty Jack Salt Co. was birthed at the corner of passion and education. Innately a creator of infused sea salts for cooking and baking, Salty Jack® is pushing the boundaries of a salt company to become a platform for education, research, community partnership, creativity, and most importantly salt's diverse uses. The founder and owner, Alyssa Sperry, has one foot in the culinary industry and another in researching academia. Her love for both has helped to develop a company that fosters an inclusive space for the seasoned blending of two worlds.
Salty Jack Salt Co. embraces out-of-the box thinking with its unique flavors, funky names, and the diverse uses of salt. The company wants to help others appreciate and explore the benefits of using salt ranging from health, culinary, environmental, and cultural connection. By being grounded in research, culture, health and culinary experience, Salty Jack® creates fun and flavorful, aromatic, and health-conscious salt products using natural and quality sourced ingredients in a way that’s good for the body and good for the earth.
In addition, Salty Jack® is all about building partnerships and giving back. Salty Jack® would have never come to pass if it was not for the supportive relationships developed during Alyssa’s years of research. To show appreciation, Salty Jack® has partnered with several non-profits and farms to to support and spotlight their impactful contributions to making the world a better place. Each of these organizations and farms are near and dear to the company’s heart. To know more about Salty Jack's® partnerships, check out the partnership page!
How We Got Started
Salty Jack Salt Co. emerged during a difficult time in Alyssa’s life. The world had just surpassed its one-year mark dealing with a global pandemic and Alyssa had recently graduated with her Master’s in Global Studies. After the excitement of graduating, she soon realized the challenges of starting her career. Alyssa felt alone – isolated from the world during a pandemic with only her beloved cat, Jack-Jack. Why is there a cat in this story? Well, you will see!
Jack-Jack had always been there for Alyssa. This gorgeous, furry friend was 8 years old when he came into Alyssa life. The two bonded immediately - he was her partner in crime, her little man. Jack was with Alyssa throughout all her crazy adventures, including her years of researching the salt industry in Jamaica. He brought her comfort during the long days and nights as she worked endlessly on her academic studies.
PEACE
LOVE
HOPE
© 2023 images by Salty Jack Salt Co.
Unfortunately, in 2020, Jack’s health was declining. And on April 2nd, 2021 Alyssa had to say goodbye to her beloved Jack-Jack – he was one month shy of turning 18 years old. After Jack’s passing, Alyssa stayed with her family on the Pacific coast. Having just lost her beloved cat, continuing to face the disappointments of her job search, and living through a pandemic, Alyssa felt more lost and scared than ever before. It was in that moment, Alyssa realized that life is too short not to do what you love, and she made the decision to start her own salt company. By this time, Alyssa had been making infused sea salt for years as gifts for friends and family and she had perfected her salt recipes. This company would not only support her passion for salt, but it would pay it forward to honor all who have supported her including her cat Jack-Jack, the inspiration for the name Salty Jack Salt Co.
About the Founder/Owner
Alyssa Sperry is a researcher, chef, and nutritionist. She is one of the leading salt researchers globally and the first woman salt creator in the Pacific Northwest. She received her master’s degree at the Department of Global Studies at the University of Oregon and her bachelor’s degree at Washington State University in Anthropology and History. She is a classically trained Pastry Chef and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner with 15 years’ experience in the culinary industry. Alyssa specializes in historical ethnography to understand the influence of food on pertinent social and economic issues, including how food effect’s cultural identity of oneself and one’s community. Having been trained both in the food industry and academia, Alyssa brings an interdisciplinary approach to the world of food and culture, helping to create a more holistic approach to innovative research and culinary practices.
Since 2016, Alyssa has been researching salt and its relationship to Jamaica and the development of the New World, with a special focus on social and economic issues during the Atlantic Slave trade and in contemporary Jamaica. In 2018, Alyssa extended her research and analyzed salt’s influence on cultural identity formation among Jamaican Maroons and Rastafarians. Her work has contributed new knowledge to the world of Food Studies, Caribbean Studies, and Global Studies. Alyssa has received numerous awards and grants for her research including the Oregon International Research Grant, Folger Shakespeare Library Scholarship, and the Library Research Excellence Award at Washington State University. She has spoken at several international conferences regarding her work with salt including a plenary speech at the Second International Congress on the Anthropology of Salt, Los Cabos, Mexico. Alyssa is a published author with contributing works to ed. Ashley Dumas and Paul Eubanks’ Salt in Eastern North America and the Caribbean (University of Alabama Press, 2021), ed. Candice Goucher’s four-volume Women Who Changed the World (ABC-CLIO, 2022), and the World History Connected’s Spring 2021 issue.
© 2023 images by Salty Jack Salt Co.
The Salty Jack Logo
When Alyssa decided to start Salty Jack®, she was sitting on the beach watching the waves early in the morning. She knew this company was going to be her heart and soul and wanted the enterprise to embrace fun and creativity. Alyssa loves many things, but cats and sharks are her two favorite animals. As she watched the waves, she imagined her beloved cat, Jack-Jack as half-cat and half-shark – dreaming how he might swim with the fishes! This image of Jack brought tears of laughter to her, and she knew that image was the logo she wanted for the company. There on her company’s logo would be Jack’s face on a shark’s body surrounded by a scattering of salt crystals. The logo represents Alyssa’s love for her cat Jack, for sharks, and salt, all the while showcasing the company’s funky side of sharing laughter with the world.
