Put some culture into butter

Culture club

Edinburgh Butter Company began when the Sinclairs took a holiday to Australia in 2017 and were impressed by the quality of the butter (Hilary is a chef). They now source their cream from across the UK, after having grown too big to continue with their local supplier, Bonaly Farm Dairy, and work with Meadow Foods and Lanchester Dairies, the latter of which is based in the north-east of England.

The company produces three products: 200g salted cultured butter logs, 1kg unsalted cultured butter sheets and cultured buttermilk in various volumes. Cultured butter is, Sinclair says, “where the interest is now”: there’s a depth of flavour imbued by fermentation that you don’t get with butter that’s been churned from fresh cream.

When they started, they were producing about two kilos of butter a week; now they’re up to three tonnes, much of which goes into hospitality. “Soon after we started, we got a call from the Balmoral hotel,” says Sinclair. “They said they wanted to use the butter across the hotel. That’s amazing, we said, how much do you use? They wanted 140kg a week, when we were making two! But they agreed to grow with us and to take what we could produce, and now we’re supplying almost all of their butter requirements.”

“Quality and provenance are now non-negotiable, but so too is value”

Edinburgh Butter Company supplies plenty more of Britain’s finest hospitality businesses now, too, from the Kinneuchar Inn in Fife to Moor Hall in Lancashire, and its butter is proving very popular, Sinclair believes, because of a focus on quality and flavour.

“A lot of butters you can buy in the supermarket are too heavily salted,” he says. “All you get is salt. We lightly salt our butter. We view it like you do in cooking: it’s a flavour enhancer. It lifts the natural flavours without masking them.”

Texture is also crucial. “We’re looking for an incredibly smooth butter,” he adds. “When you cut through it, there’s no graininess. But, depending on how you produce your butter, you can have a more crumbly texture or more acidity that comes from leaving in more of the buttermilk. From our perspective, the French are the masters of butter – what we’re trying to do is match that.”

Redefining dairy

Another nation that is very proud of its dairy products is Ireland. “Irish dairy is redefining what premium means in today’s food landscape,” says Estelle Alley, UK category manager with Bord Bia – the Irish Food Board. “By marrying centuries-old craftsmanship with cutting-edge innovation and sustainability, Irish producers are shaping a future where flavour, quality and responsible sourcing coexist.”

Quality is key, she adds: “Irish dairy stands out for one simple reason: it’s quality you can taste. Ireland’s 1.5 million dairy cows spend 250 days a year on average on lush pasture, enjoying a 95% grass-fed diet that delivers naturally creamy, full-bodied flavour. The result is reliable, high-impact ingredients that lift dishes from good to unforgettable.”

Value remains a key factor in these straightened times, according to Kevin Beer, managing director at Millbrook Dairy Company, makers of 1057 Extra Mature Scottish Cheddar. “Quality and provenance are now non-negotiable, but so too is value,” he says. “Our customers want to know that the cheese or butter on their menu – whether back or front of house – delivers exceptional flavour, consistent performance and is sourced responsibly, all at a price that works within increasingly tight margins.”

Cheeses from across the Channel remain popular, says Rocky Page, head of commercial at dairy products and speciality cheese supplier Eurilait: “The variety in the market can be overwhelming, so our goal is to simplify the process,” he says. “Whether our customer needs sliceable French Brie for sandwiches, feta or halloumi cubes packed to their specifications, or assistance sourcing a particular Protected Designation of Origin cheese – or all of these at once – they can rely on us to work with them to find the best solution.”

And there’s still space for fun. “Customers are constantly looking out for innovative new twists,” says Tom Styman-Heighton, development chef at Funnybones Foodservice. “Instead of mozzarella sticks, chefs could offer macaroni cheese bites as a starter or a way to dress up burgers. Likewise, Funnybones’ Spanish Manchego cheese mini churros offer an innovative take on the traditionally sweet Hispanic treat.”

Back in Edinburgh, meanwhile, Sinclair is plotting an assault on a new butter market. “We’re just about to launch butter portions,” he says. “We already do it on a small scale for some customers, such as Gleneagles, but we want to roll them out, mainly in Scotland, as a premium option for afternoon teas and hotels. We’ve wanted to do it for years.” And then, presumably, it’ll be time for the vodka.

Suppliers

Bonaly Farm Dairy bonalyfarmdairy.co.uk

Bord Bia www.bordbia.ie

Edinburgh Butter Company www.theedinburghbutterco.co.uk

Eurilait www.eurilait.co.uk

Funnybones Foodservice www.funnybones.co.uk

Lanchester Dairies lanchesterdairies.co.uk

Meadow Foods meadowfoods.co.uk

Millbrook Dairy Company www.millbrookdairy.com

Main photo: Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock