The Butter Boom
It’s being sculpted for fashion parties, collected by tourists and hoarded in freezers. There are even entire shops devoted to it. What’s behind the revival of the much-maligned foodstuff?
TL;DR
- Dedicated butter shops, like Le Butter in Paris, are opening and attracting significant customer interest.
- Butter is being used in fashion parties, as art material, and collected by tourists and enthusiasts.
- The revival is partly linked to a perception of butter as a natural food, contrasting with ultra-processed alternatives.
- Despite health advice on saturated fat, butter consumption remains high in several European countries.
- Butter is being embraced as a simple, high-quality indulgence, served in new ways such as on cheese boards.
- Butter sommeliers are being sought after, indicating a growing appreciation for its nuances.
- Concerns about food shortages, particularly during the pandemic, have led some to hoard butter.