Not all dairy products are made equal. Some of the world’s most beloved butters are prized for their higher fat content, traditional modes of production, dedication to sourcing milk from specific regions, and exceptional terroir – the unique influence of soil, topography, and climate that creates a one-of-a-kind flavour to the butter.
You might think that gourmet butters are hard to find here in Singapore, but both overseas and homegrown producers have been sprouting up in recent years, eager to delight our paletes. Now it’s easier than ever to pick up a block of golden goodness to sear meat and seafood, bake pastries, or simply to spread on a good, crusty piece of sourdough.
So leave out the margarine and give yourself a decadent – and relatively cheap – treat with these gourmet butters available in Singapore!
Le Beurre Bordier
Le Beurre Bordier has been touted as the best butter in the world, and you can now get it right here in Singapore! Jean-Yves Bordier, the third generation in a family of butter and cheesemakers, still uses the traditional ‘tapage’ method to craft his butter, which involves kneading the dairy with a malaxeur (wooden machine) and then pounding and shaping it with wooden paddles.
Only fresh milk from small farms in Brittany are used, and the aroma of the butter changes with the seasons due to the different feed that the cattle consume. The product is made over the course of three days, which allows textures and complex flavours to develop. The end result is an exquisitely silky, distinctive and luxuriant butter that has won the hearts of many around the world.
Purchase here at Atout, Fave Fine Food or So France.
Meraki Butters
Go local and try out Meraki Butters’ range of compound butters. Take delight in tantalising flavours such as Kombu, Salted Egg Yolk and Szechuan Mala, along with seasonal flavours in the mix! Right now, it’s Stout Caramel and it’s honestly making it so hard to choose.
If you’re like me and you can’t pick one, you’ll be glad to know that you can mix-and-match the spreads in duo or trio bundles (from $20)! There are countless ways to enjoy Meraki Butters, and you can also refer to their Butter Bible for more inspiration on what recipes you can create with their products!
Purchase online here.
Hern Hao Eats
More Asian-inspired butters? Yes please! Hern Hao Eats handcrafts compound butters that are freshly made almost everyday, churned from high-quality cream, taking up to six hours to complete one batch.
Flavours include Sundried Tomato & Basil, Kombu, Porcini, Miso Chilli and Summer Truffle, which you can purchase in individual jars ($15) or in full packs ($79). Do look out for its two-week specials too – there’ve been very intriguing flavours like Uni Shiso and Squid Ink Garlic Herb!
Order via Hern Hao Eats’ IG page.
Echiré
Echiré butter was first produced in 1989, and up to this day it is still manufactured traditionally in teak barrel-style churns. The making process involves churning cream for two and a half hours, which imparts a velvety texture and bold hazelnut flavour to the product. The dairy is then washed to remove any trace of acidic flavour, and later beat to develop a creamy, even texture.
Dairy cream from several French provinces form the foundation of the product, and this butter is prized for its Charentes-Poitou PDO status, which is awarded to a small selection of butter produced in Western France, where cows feed on top quality grass grown in abundant lime soil and the warm climate of the Atlantic coastal region. The end result is something bold enough to pair with plain bread, but also great for making the perfect pastry.
Available on Cold Storage or Isetan.
Lewis Road Creamery
New Zealand is thought to produce some of the best dairy in the world. So, why shouldn’t it produce some of the best butter too? That was the thinking behind Lewis Road Creamery, which first started importing milk to Singapore in 2018.
Today, the creamery’s locally sourced and made butter is gaining traction at home and in the US thanks to its full-bodied character and ultra-creaminess. While the Artisan butter is only available at select high-end restaurants, you can easily get the premium range from a Kiwi supplier right here in Singapore.
Trappist
Dairy is an important part of Japan’s agriculture industry, so it’s no surprise that the country produces high quality milk and butter products. Trappist’s butter hails from the sprawling region of Hokkaido and it’s known for its light, corn-tinged flavour.
And this may come as a huge surprise: the butter is actually made by the monks at Tobetsu Trappist Monastery, who support their eponymous monastery through agricultural ventures like growing their own fruit and vegetables and selling homemade butter, jam, and cookies!
Available here.
Pepe Saya
Pepe Saya butter is an Aussie take on European-style butter that packs a creamy, cheesy punch. Started over a decade ago in 2009 by husband and wife duo Pierre Issa and Melissa Altman, today Pepe Saya’s butter is so good it is served on the national flight carrier Qantas.
Pepe Saya butter is made from 100% Australian milk, fresh from a local farm: Country Valley Dairy in Picton, where the cows are pasture fed. It is cultured over a two-week period, churned, and then shaped by the hardworking and loving hands of Pepe Saya’s passionate team. The butter is top quality, not just in production, but also in texture, flavour and appearance.
Purchase via Little Farms.
Le Gall
Le Gall stays true to the tradition of butter-making by maturing the product with selected enzymes followed by the slow and traditional churning of Brittany’s best fresh creams. The lengthy artisanal procedure takes an entire day to make and echoes the dairy production method of traditional farms in Brittany.
Le Gall only sources its ‘grand cru’ milk from the western French region of Cornouaille to ensure the butter’s signature buttercup-yellow hue and rich flavour that makes for a truly luxurious product.
Available here.