Bal Harbour

68 BAL HARBOUR HOLIDAY 2023 SPECIAL EDITION The same is true of Jerr y Simpson's operation. The one-time commercial photographer stumbled on Bequia almost 40 years ago when he was hired to come to Mustique for a shoot . Simpson became a regular there but segued to the neighboring island after connecting with its creative vibe. "The people here are so resource- ful and so accepting, and the water? It's uber-clean," he raves. The cleanliness of that water is essential to the company he established: Grenadine Wild Sea Salt. Simpson recalled how often chefs would emphasize the importance of solar-evaporated sea salt whenever he worked with them on commercials or shoots, sparking him to won- der if he could produce salt here. He began tinkering with his own patented salt pan design: when it's filled with sea water and placed in the sun, the evaporated water that condenses on the glass lid is set at a specific angle so that it runs o‡ rather than drips back into the pan. What remains: pure Caribbean sea salt. There are rows of the pans on the grounds, a‡ectionately referred to as The Mill, and Simpson strolls around them, rangily enthusiastic, explaining the key di‡erence bet ween his salt and so much of what 's sold else- where. Most producers separate crystals by size, better to sell the most prized—fleur de sel—at a premium, Simpson says. He refuses to do that, explaining that salt with an assor tment of crystals of varying sizes seasons food more e‡ectively. "It doesn't shock your saliva glands by dissolving all at once; di‡erent size crystals take longer. It enhances the flavor of the food that way, rather than just giving you a blast of salt in your mouth." Simpson sells his salt from a small boutique on his property, where the company hosts tours as well as their 6-course sea salt tastings and pairing dinners. Many of the superyachters now book ahead to spend an evening in his company when moored in the bay. Cosgrave's not yet booked a super, but she says the fact that so much of Bequia still remains to be discovered, even after so many visits, is one of its greatest appeals. "It's a working island, buzzing with lots of activity," she says, comparing it with its better-known neighbor. "Bequia feels real. Real paradise." " IN OUR WORLD, IT'S INCREASINGLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FEEL OFF THE GRID, BUT HERE YOU CAN, AND IT ATTRACTS A DISCREET, CREATIVE COMMUNITY— ARTISTS, FILMMAKERS, MUSIC PEOPLE. —Ann Layton " P H OTO G R A P H Y: (L TO R ) N E I L S T E WA R T / GA L L E RY S TO C K ; C H R I S TO P H E R S I M P S O N / GA L L E RY S TO C K

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