John and Candy, the makers behind Steel City Salt Company, believe that salt is more than just salt. Read about how inspiration from his Italian grandfather led to John’s discovery of salts from different regions of the world.
Update: Check out Steel City Salts feature on the Today Show!
Makers:
My full name is John Tarallo and along with my wife Candy Tarallo we both own Steel City Salt Company!
Neighborhood:
I grew up in Lawrenceville with my Mom and Bloomfield with my Dad. Now I currently live in Stanton Heights.
Tell us about your brand and why it’s the best
Our branding is very simple, we focus strictly on quality not only of our products but also with our relationships with our customers. They know we only carry and make the best salts and can count on us to deliver above and beyond service….plus when it comes to flavor, we love it!!!!
What is your background and the story behind why you started Steel City Salt Company?
So I started launched the business in August 2014 with the crazy idea that salt is more than just…salt:) Growing up in a large Italian family, the food is constant and the flavors are very deep. What initially peaked my interest in food and later spices & salt was my time as a clerk at Groceria Italiana in Bloomfield. I watched the old school Italian ladies make ravioli and sauces by hand and eventually learned how to do it myself. Also, I would visit my Grandfather who was from Sicily and he always had this really cool Sicilian Salt that I thought was awesome…I mean, at the time Mortons was all most people used. Now the Trapani Sicilian Salt is one of our best selling imports and was one of our first products. Fast forward a few years and between working in different restaurants and being around the food scene, I became interested in what flavors to make using different salts and the fact that almost every region in the world producing their own unique salt pretty much blew my mind. So after lots of trial & error and eventually hooking up with an importer, my then girlfriend Candy and I started the business with just 8 items and now we have over 20 with more on the way!
What one product do we need to know about and why?
The Steeltown Garlic & Herb is AWESOME! From the first week we launched it, it quickly became our best seller. With just the right amount of salt, spices, and herbs, you can do so much! I’ve found also that it’s a great blend for those that are unfamiliar with different salts because there’s not much you can do to mess up a meal with the Steeltown.
In three words, Why do you love Pittsburgh?
Absolutely, Totally, Awesome:)
How can people find out more about Steel City Salt Company?
You can check out our website www.steelcitysalt.com
We are also on Instagram @steelcitysaltco and Facebook.
