Speciality-Food-Magazine-November-December-2024

16 TRENDWATCH Sponsored by who know the names of the animals, then you are all but guaranteeing a vast improvement in quality, health benefits, environmental impact, animal welfare and local economy.” Consumer knowledge of all of the above, Sarah adds, is improving all the time and, “we’re now at a threshold where convenience and price are no longer an adequate trade- off for them.” Couple this with the demand for ‘newness’ across many areas of food and drink, says Sarah, and flavoured butters fit the bill. WHAT MAKES A GREAT FLAVOURED BUTTER? “First and foremost the flavour ha s to have the right amount of intensity,” says Tony Ho, founder of Sublime Butter. “Too strong and it will be overpowering when served with bread or rested on protein. Too mild and it won’t hold up to the cooking process. You can achieve the right balance with high-quality ingredients and the correct amount of acidity.” He advises retailers to be wary of cheaper flavoured butters which may rely on oils, oil suspensions and artificial flavourings in their formulations. “This will give you a short, simple spike of flavour that disappears from the palate very quickly – and it’ll go unnoticed if you try to cook with it.” Look for a high percentage of milk solids, which will make a difference to how the butter tastes. “Our butter is made using grass-fed British dairy and runs at almost 82% butterfat for a rich, decadent mouthfeel that cheaper alternatives simply can’t match.” WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO USE FLAVOURED BUTTER? There are endless ways for consumers to use flavoured butters in their cooking, either as an ingredient to give a background note, or as a featured hero flavour. Producers say the joy of these products is the way they bring complexity and depth to a meal, without the need for multiple ingredients or lengthy preparation. As well as smothering them on toast and crumpets, compound butters will make steak, chicken or fish sing, can boost the base of a roux in the beginnings of a sauce, or be tucked into bakes, from cakes, to enriched breads. WHY SHOULD YOU BE STOCKING FLAVOURED BUTTERS? Simply put, explains Sarah, they sell well. “Compound, whipped butters have a buzz around them in the industry. Top chefs have them on their menus, and quality farm shops have them in their chillers.” Butter is a staple, says Sarah, and shoppers are just now realising the “health benefits of using quality butter as opposed to chemically extracted oils from some exotic seed”. Research shows that, due to cost- of-living pressures and the impact of inflation, more UK consumers are cooking restaurant quality food at home to save money, adds Toby. “Similarly, we’ve seen a significant move away fromultra processed foods,” the brand says. “In February 2024, 12.8 million shoppers changed their diets due to UPF fears, and 48% of shoppers now think butter is healthier than spreads.” Awareness of, and demand for, flavoured butter is at an all-time high, says Tony, adding that this, coupled with the fact the products are “insanely easy to upsell” makes them a ‘no brainer’ for specialist retailers. “If you’re paying £90 for an incredible forerib of beef, what’s another fiver to add an award-winning basting butter to take it to the next level?” ARE THERE ANY ARTISAN BRANDS TO BE AWARE OF? The majority of compound and flavoured butter businesses have sprung from the speciality field. Products we’ve enjoyed this year include The Yorkshire Kitchen’s ambient jars of Cinnamon & Honey Butter, whichmake everything they touch taste like warm cinnamon buns, and All Things Butter’s Garlic & Herb variety, bringing a refreshing, tongue-teasing twist to the classic with its pops of lemon juice and mint oil. FLAVOURED BUTTERS Compound butters have captured the imaginations of home cooks. How can retailers cash in on the trend? More consumers are now seeking sustainable, unprocessed and British-born dairy products –meaning lower foodmiles – to incorporate into their everyday diets TOBY HOPKINSON, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, ALL THINGS BUTTER The Life & Soul of the Pantry ORDER AT TRADE.TRACKLEMENTS.CO.UKO R CALL:01666 827044 C heese used to be the most attractive offering in the dairy aisle – its myriad flavour profiles, origins and stories giving consumers a reason to point their trollies towards the chillers. While cheese will never go out of fashion, it’s been joined in dairy recently by a steady flow of innovative niche products which are stopping shoppers in their tracks, and delivering greater dwell time in this space for retailers. From gut-friendly kefir to healthful yoghurts and raw milk, the category is opening up like never before. A product starting to make its mark is flavoured (or compound) butter – fresh, British butter whipped or churned with sweet or savoury inclusions –with both speciality retail andmultiples (including M&S andWaitrose) taking stock of the category. WHY IS FLAVOURED BUTTER TAKING OFF? According to Statista, butter’s revenue in the UK stands at $1.43 billion this year, with the market expected to grow annually by 2.65% to 2029. Those leading the charge in this field say the reasons for its growing popularity are threefold. Firstly, it’s competing against oil, with sunflower and olive oil prices remaining high. Secondly, more shoppers are moving away from seed oils, seeking less processed fats for cooking and baking. And, thirdly, these ‘taste bombs’ are a way to up the ante in the kitchen, bringing new life and dimension to a variety of dishes with very little effort required. Oh, and who could forget the butter board trend? WHAT’S RESONATING WITH CUSTOMERS? “More consumers are now seeking sustainable, unprocessed and British- born dairy products –meaning lower foodmiles – to incorporate into their everyday diets,” says Toby Hopkinson, CEO and co-founder of All Things Butter. “We believe that people are moving back to the way they used to shop,” adds Sarah Stokes of The Yorkshire Kitchen. “If you’re buying local produce that contains ingredients you can pronounce, frompeople THE UK BUTTER MARKET IS EXPECTED TO GROW ANNUALLY BY 2.65% TO 202 SOURCE: STATISTA