Prepare the Herb Butter: In a small saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over a low heat. Once fully melted, remove from the heat. Stir in the chopped parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder. Set it aside to infuse while you prepare the popcorn. This lets the flavours deepen.

Heat the Popping Pan: Take a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the rapeseed oil and three popcorn kernels to the pan. Place it over a medium-high heat.

Test the Oil Temperature: Put the lid on the pan and wait. Once you hear those three test kernels pop, you know the oil is at the right temperature for popping. This is a crucial step for ensuring most of your kernels pop successfully.

Add the Kernels: Carefully remove the pan from the heat, take out the three popped kernels, and pour the rest of your popcorn kernels into the pan in an even layer. Put the lid back on and wait for 30 seconds. This allows all the kernels to reach the same temperature, promoting more even popping.

Pop the Corn: Return the pan to the medium-high heat. The kernels will begin to pop vigorously. Once the popping starts, gently shake the pan back and forth over the burner every 10-15 seconds to prevent burning and encourage more kernels to pop.

Listen Carefully: Continue shaking until the popping slows down significantly, to about one pop every 2-3 seconds. Once it reaches this stage, immediately remove the pan from the heat. The residual heat will pop the last few kernels. Don't be tempted to wait for every last kernel, as this can lead to burning.

Combine and Season: Pour the freshly popped popcorn into your largest mixing bowl. Gently re-warm the herb butter if needed, then slowly drizzle it all over the hot popcorn, tossing continuously with a large spatula as you pour. What works best for me is pouring a little, tossing, and repeating until all the butter is used. This ensures an even coating.

Final Seasoning: Sprinkle the fine sea salt and black pepper over the popcorn and give it one final, thorough toss. Taste a piece and add more salt if you feel it needs it. Serve immediately while warm and gloriously fragrant.