You found the jar. Here's the story behind it.
We are Threls — a small software company based in Gozo. This year we're one of the sponsors of RunGozo, and when we sat down to think about how to show up for the people running this race, a branded pen didn't feel right. Neither did a lanyard, or a flyer, or any of the usual things.
We kept coming back to the same question: what would actually mean something?
So we made something instead. Handcrafted for you.
How it came together
The idea of making something by hand came up almost as a joke. And then it didn't seem like a joke at all. Somewhere halfway through production, perhaps a few of us might have even wished it had stayed one 😉.
At Threls, we believe in humans over everything else. We build software, yes — but what we're really trying to do is remove the noise and give people back the things that matter. That philosophy doesn't stay in our code. It's in how we show up, how we work, and apparently, how we sponsor running races.
So we cleared a few days in the calendar and brought the team together — families included. For the ingredients, we turned to Jubilee Foods here in Gozo. Jubilee recently started using Twine — our POS product — in their Valletta café and Ayubowan, and will soon be rolling it out across Café Jubilee in Victoria, and Murella. They trusted us with their business. It felt right to work with them on this.
That's the kind of relationship we try to build. Not transactions. Not projects. Something that looks more like this — 1,600 jars, made by hand, for the community we call home.
The first batch comes together.
Everything mixed by hand — it took a while, but that was kind of the point.
Agreeing on the consistency took longer than expected.
We did a few test runs to get the texture right.
Everyone just naturally found their place in the process.
Time to start filling the bottles.
One by one, capped and set aside.
Slowly but surely, the empty bottles disappeared.
Then came the labels.
A small detail, but we weren't willing to rush it.
Turns out sticking labels on straight is harder than it looks.
Each one pressed on by hand.
Not old enough to paste labels, but happy to observe.
Refuelling before the next batch.
Between batches, back to the laptop.
A quick huddle to prioritise and work through some project work that couldn't wait.
The lunch crew making sure nobody went hungry.
Nearing the finish line, as the packing begins.
Packed up and ready to go.
We hope the runners enjoy them. It was a good day making these.
The first batch comes together.
Everything mixed by hand — it took a while, but that was kind of the point.
Agreeing on the consistency took longer than expected.
We did a few test runs to get the texture right.
Everyone just naturally found their place in the process.
Time to start filling the bottles.
One by one, capped and set aside.
Slowly but surely, the empty bottles disappeared.
Then came the labels.
A small detail, but we weren't willing to rush it.
Turns out sticking labels on straight is harder than it looks.
Each one pressed on by hand.
Not old enough to paste labels, but happy to observe.
Refuelling before the next batch.
Between batches, back to the laptop.
A quick huddle to prioritise and work through some project work that couldn't wait.
The lunch crew making sure nobody went hungry.
Nearing the finish line, as the packing begins.
Packed up and ready to go.
We hope the runners enjoy them. It was a good day making these.
The first batch comes together.
Everything mixed by hand — it took a while, but that was kind of the point.
Agreeing on the consistency took longer than expected.
We did a few test runs to get the texture right.
Everyone just naturally found their place in the process.
Time to start filling the bottles.
One by one, capped and set aside.
Slowly but surely, the empty bottles disappeared.
Then came the labels.
A small detail, but we weren't willing to rush it.
Turns out sticking labels on straight is harder than it looks.
Each one pressed on by hand.
Not old enough to paste labels, but happy to observe.
Refuelling before the next batch.
Between batches, back to the laptop.
A quick huddle to prioritise and work through some project work that couldn't wait.
The lunch crew making sure nobody went hungry.
Nearing the finish line, as the packing begins.
Packed up and ready to go.
We hope the runners enjoy them. It was a good day making these.
Photography by Jason Vella, a fellow Threls team member
What's in the jar
Three simple ingredients, rooted in Gozo.
Coarse Gozo Sea Salt
The backbone of the scrub. It exfoliates dead skin, stimulates circulation in tired muscles, and unlike refined table salt, retains its natural mineral content — magnesium, calcium, potassium. The kind of things your body has just spent the last few hours burning through.
Local Gozo Honey
Raw, local honey is naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory — properties that are significantly reduced in processed or imported varieties. For skin, it moisturises without clogging pores and supports the skin's natural healing. We chose local because local raw honey retains what processing removes.
Fresh Lemon
For brightness and a clean, fresh scent.
Per 100ml jar: 78g coarse salt, 21g honey, and 6–8 drops of fresh lemon juice.
Use it in the shower after the race. On your legs, your feet, your arms — anywhere that earned it today. Massage in circular motions on damp skin, leave for a minute, then rinse. Your skin will thank you.
A little about us
We are Threls — a software company based in Gozo. We partner with organisations across the world to build custom digital products from the ground up. Not off-the-shelf. Not templated. Built around the specific problem, the team, and the people who will use it every day. Alongside that client work, we built our own — Twine is one of them, a POS platform we co-own and are genuinely proud of.
Learn How We BuildBut technology is never really about technology. It's about people. And what people are trying to get back to.
You already know what it takes to be a runner; it’s consistency.
Showing up on the days you don't feel like it. Protecting your training like it matters — because it does. Getting to the start line is the achievement. Everything after it is the reward.
But consistency has enemies
The meeting that overruns. The inbox that never empties. The admin that multiplies. The decisions that pile up before you've even laced your shoes. The noise — at work, in life — that quietly steals the hours and the energy you had set aside for the things that actually matter to you.
That's exactly what we exist to fight.
At Threls, we apply responsible technology to remove the operational noise that pulls people away from their purpose.
We build digital products that make organisations run cleaner, quieter, and smarter — so the people inside them get back to what they were meant to be doing.
"Run well. Rest well. You've got this."
— The Threls team, Gozo
Bonus Content
See the day come to life...
We captured bits and pieces of the day as it unfolded. Here's a look at what it was like behind the scenes; the organised chaos, the quiet focus, and everything in between.
The kind of day that reminds us why we do what we do, and why it's worth showing up for.
Follow our journey
