An award winning Manx business is hoping to breathe new life into the site of a former Port St Mary restaurant by transforming it into a salt processing facility, visitor attraction and café.

Isle of Man Salt Co has submitted plans to convert the former Boathouse on Loch Road into a processing site for its award-winning sea salt, alongside a retail area and café.

Founded in 2021 by former chef and mum-of-two Helen Crosbie, the award-winning business produces small-batch, sustainable sea salt using renewable energy.

Several of its products have also received prestigious Great Taste Awards.

The application also includes the installation of solar panels.

Mrs Crosbie told Isle of Man Today: 'We are super excited by the prospect of opening the new processing facility. It will be fantastic to be in Port St Mary and breathe new life into a much-loved venue.'

As well as processing salt on site, visitors will be able to see how it is made.

She said: 'We will bring a unique visitor feature to the village with a viewing window so people can watch the process.'

Mrs Crosbie had hoped the facility would be operational by the end of the year but said the planning process had taken longer than expected. If approved, she now expects it to open in the spring.

Alongside the processing area, the building will house packing and packaging facilities, a retail space selling the company's products and, eventually, a café.

She said: 'It will be a phased approach, with the manufacturing side first, followed by the retail area and then the café.

'Initially, it will be a pop-up café with tasting sessions and we will take it from there.'

The planning statement says the development would enable the business to expand, create jobs and increase sales both on and off the island.

It adds: 'A facility within an existing building would enable the processing of the salt to be undertaken all year round.

'The proposal aims to create a multifunctional building which accommodates salt processing, provides an area where the process is explained, products can be displayed and sold, and where customers can speak directly to the producer.

'It is also hoped the café area could be used for cookery demonstrations and workshops.'

The business currently consists of Mrs Crosbie, supported by her husband and occasional part-time staff, but she said the plans would create further employment opportunities.

The planning statement says the proposal would revitalise a vacant building while supporting a clean, sustainable food production process.

Isle of Man Salt Co gathers seawater from the south of the island before filtering and evaporating it to produce edible sea salt.

Its products are stocked by Selfridges in London's Oxford Street and include Red Chilli Salt, Super Seasoning, Furikake Seasoning and salted caramel sauce.