House of Pincho
House of Pincho is a coastal Australian salt brand inspired by the raw beauty of the sea. Founded in Victoria, our brand was born from a desire to elevate everyday dining through beautifully crafted sea salt that feels both luxurious and deeply connected to nature. Each jar captures the essence of the coastline, designed not only as a pantry staple, but as an object to be displayed, shared and experienced.
What inspired the idea for your business?
House of Pincho was born from a deep fascination with the ancient art of salt making. I became increasingly intrigued by the traditional salt making methods and the alchemy of transforming ocean water into something so essential and enduring. There is power in the simplicity of our process, using only the sun, wind and time to create our beautiful salt a substance that has carried such significance across centuries and cultures.
Salt is inspiring. In an ever-changing world, salt remains a fabulous constant. For centuries, salt symbolised so much from friendship, trust and connection, often exchanged between people as a ritual of hospitality and goodwill. That idea became the foundation of House of Pincho. I wanted to create a product that felt timeless and meaningful, something that could bring people together around the table and elevate everyday moments.
Where is the business now? And where is it headed?
After years spent refining our craft and perfecting both the quality of our salt as well as refining the presentation of the product, House of Pincho officially launched this year. Originally coming from a background in art and design, I have always been deeply drawn to objects that are both functional and beautiful.
The vision was always to create a salt that felt deeply authentic yet elevated, something exceptional enough to sit proudly on the table or be gifted to someone you love. In our first year, we have already been stocked by some of Australia’s most prestigious providores and boutique hotels, reflecting a growing appreciation for handcrafted, design-led food products.
We see enormous potential for the brand within high end retail, luxury hospitality and curated lifestyle spaces across Australia. As we continue to grow, our focus is on expanding our presence while remaining true to the handcrafted nature of our process. Next year, we will be launching several new products in our signature packaging, including smoked salt and a range of original flavour profiles that continue to celebrate creativity, ritual and the experience of dining as well as a refill subscription delivered to your door.
How does your brand differentiate itself in the market?
House of Pincho differentiates itself through our traditional salt making with a strong design identity and a deep connection to the beautiful Victorian coastline. We are proud of the strong personal story behind the brand as we make the salt ourselves using traditional methods solar working with pure ocean water collected from the coastline of Bells Beach and the Great Ocean Road. It’s a very local product that we hope to take all over the world.
We also feel water responds to positive vibration so throughout the evaporation process, we play music to the ocean water, seeing it as a way of bringing positivity, intention and purity into the final product. For us, salt making is not only a physical craft but also an emotional and sensory one, grounded in ritual and connection to nature.
Can you share the challenges you’ve encountered and how you’ve navigated them? What have been your key strengths and weaknesses, and what have you learned from them?
One of the greatest challenges for House of Pincho has been the nature of the salt making process itself! Creating beautiful salt takes a lot of time, patience and care, which can feel at odds with the speed of the modern world. Because we make the salt ourselves using traditional solar evaporation methods, we are deeply reliant on weather and natural conditions.
Last year, one of our large solar salt houses was blown over and twisted up during a major coastal storm just before our salt season. It delayed our launch and left us feeling deflated after so much work. But the experience taught us resilience. We held to our vision and rebuilt a stronger and more beautiful salt house.
Scaling the salt volume while maintaining quality has also been a learning curve. House of Pincho sits somewhere between a farming business, an artisanal food product and a design brand, requiring a constant shift between creativity, production and problem solving. We believe this balance is also what makes the brand feel unique and authentic.
Coming originally from an art and design background, one of my greatest strengths is creativity and ideas. I am endlessly inspired by colour, packaging and creating products that feel emotionally engaging and beautiful to live with. One of the biggest lessons has been focusing on doing a small number of things exceptionally well before expanding too quickly.
What are the core values and principles that shape your brand’s decision-making process?
The core values that shape House of Pincho are excellence, respect for nature, craftsmanship and intentionality. Early on, a mentor told me that no matter how big or small the task, you should always strive for excellence. That philosophy has stayed with me and continues to guide every decision we make as a brand, from the quality of the salt itself through to packaging, presentation and the customer experience.
We also feel a deep responsibility to operate in a way that is ecologically respectful. Because our entire product begins with ocean water, we are constantly aware of the beauty and fragility of the natural environment that gives us so much. We see the enormous impact plastic pollution is having on our oceans and wildlife, which is why we actively try to avoid plastic packaging wherever possible.
At House of Pincho, collecting ocean water has a reverence and ritual to it that feels deeply connected to something much larger than ourselves. We feel an enormous respect for the power of the ocean and believe that if we are taking from it, we also have a responsibility to honour and protect it in return.
What advice would you give to aspiring business owners?
My advice for anyone wanting to start their own business is simple: take action. Every small action eventually builds into something meaningful, but it requires patience and persistence.
I am constantly amazed by what happens once you take the first step. You learn so much through action itself. Each decision teaches you something new, allowing you to adjust, refine and pivot as you go.
What achievement are you most proud of?
One of the achievements I am most proud of is becoming a local salt maker here in Victoria. The process of making salt still feels magical to me and continues to inspire me every time I watch the salt crystals slowly form and develop. There is something incredibly rewarding about working so closely with nature and creating a product entirely from ocean water, sun, wind and time.
I am also deeply proud of the creative side of House of Pincho. Coming from an art and design background, having the ability to draw, design and create original artwork for the brand has made it feel unique and personal. Our signature mermaids and visual identity reflect that creativity. In a world where so many images and designs can feel repeated or recycled, creating something original feels very important to me.
Most of all, I am proud of the people behind the business. My dad has generously allowed me to bring my ambitious ideas and creative visions to life on our beautiful family farm in Bellbrae. My husband has worked incredibly hard alongside me to help build the business, and my daughter has been endlessly patient and supportive throughout the process. House of Pincho is also a family story, and we hope we are creating something meaningful that can continue for generations to come.
