I almost died trying to get salt from the sea

Mr Peattie said the pressure of running a salt factory on his own had caused him to become a workaholic.

Now, although he still works seven days a week and never goes on holiday, he only does emails during the night, which he can do from his house.

“When you take on something like this, when you know it’s come out of an idea and ends up reality, you don’t want to fail so you have got to slog your guts out,” he said.

“This salt company has been a massive struggle, it’s nearly swallowed me up financially twice.

“The average person would not have done what I have done.

“But I’ve done it and I’ve got to live with it and I’ve got to make sure it’s a success.

“That’s my driver, I’m absolutely terrified of failure.”

Two years on since launch, his East Neuk Salt Company is producing up to six tonnes of salt a month and distributing it around the world.

He collects 6,000 litres of salt water from the Firth of Forth and uses the distilled water which is the by-product to make mineral water.

Darren said: “My wife would come into the factory and say ‘You’re going to kill yourself’ or ‘this is getting out of hand’.

“But I think she is the only one who understands me and now she leaves me to it.”