I'm starting a new series digging into the people behind the clays and treats this community loves, their inspirations, favourite flavours, memorable moments, the works. Seemed only fair to kick it off with myself.
Selling since July 2025, based in London. Earthy Crunch UK is my attempt at curating the community's favourite clays and textures into one proper shop rather than a dozen scattered ones.
What inspired me to start? Honestly, I'd been a clay buyer myself for years and got tired of the cost. Amazon and Etsy sellers charging £15.99 for 100g, tiny portions, and buying in bulk often meant it went hard and stale before I got through it. I thought, why not just share what I have with the community, and one idea snowballed into this.
What sets my selection apart is that I've curated the vendors this community already rates, basically building the shop I always wished existed when I was hunting for my own next crunch fix. Who inspires my choices? Mostly myself, if I'm honest, I don't sell anything I wouldn't eat, though I check in with the community regularly to see what they actually want, because at the end of the day it's for them.
Spring 2025 was the real turning point. The cost-of-living crisis had everyone feeling the pinch, and clay is a bit of a luxury, I know that, but the cravings can be intense, and I realised I could make it more accessible for people like me.
My personal favourite is genuinely still clay pots. I'm iron-deficient, so there's something about that iron-rich mineral flavour that hits exactly right, Mexican clays especially, though I've grown to love greys and blacks over the years too. Not really a fan of salty or tangy notes. If I had to describe my ideal crunch in three words: metallic, smooth, fractured. Texture-wise, I'm all about that crackly crispness that shatters just right under your teeth, and flavour-wise, Red Nakumatt is a favourite for me and a lot of the community, iron-rich metallic notes with a subtle cementy grey undertone underneath. Chef's kiss, honestly.
A funny one from sourcing: the language barrier catches me out more than you'd think. I studied Spanish at school and university and I'd say it's decent, though European Spanish differs a fair bit from Latin American Spanish. I was once negotiating clay with a seller in Mexico and I'm fairly sure there was a translation mix-up somewhere, because he kept calling me something I definitely wasn't expecting. If I could introduce a completely new flavour to the range, it'd be something that tastes like a forest, that earthy, soily pine smell after rain in the woods. Honestly, heaven.
Disclaimer: This is written for informational and hobbyist purposes. My products aren't certified food-grade and are sold for collection, crafting or sensory enjoyment. Any consumption is entirely a personal decision and entirely at your own risk. I don't promote ingestion and can't be held responsible for any adverse effects.
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