Why Matty Matheson Keeps 4 Pounds Of Butter In His Fridge

Canadian chef Matty Matheson is no stranger to demonstrating his food expertise in public — both with his restaurants, such as Toronto's Prime Seafood Palace, and as a culinary consultant on Hulu's "The Bear" (on which he also acts, ironically, as one of the few characters who doesn't cook). Another place he utilizes his culinary expertise? In his home, where he lives with his wife and kids. And if you were to peek into Matheson's home fridge, you would see something interesting: four pounds of butter.

In an interview with Bon Appétit, Matheson explained why, simply stating, "We're a dairy-heavy family." Of course, that doesn't mean everything they eat at home is drenched in butter; the chef went on to reveal that it — and other dairy products — go mostly toward baking. "The kids love making cookies, cupcakes, or pancakes with my wife, Trish," he said. And adjusting what's in his fridge to match his kids' wants and needs aligns with the family-friendly nature of his life — which is a facet of his cooking that Matheson has discussed many times before.

Matty Matheson has generally been open about his home life and how it coincides with his life as a professional chef. In one interview with Vancouver Sun in June 2023, he revealed how since having kids, he has changed the dishes that he makes at home.

"Being married and having three children has really changed [what I make]," he said. "I still make a lot of food, but I also just want to make stuff that my kids want to eat too." He went on to say that he finds it satisfying to make high-quality food and see his kids enjoy it as they experience tasting flavors that are new to them. Giving an example that likely required some of their home butter stash, Matheson shared, "We made butter chicken a couple weeks ago, and they loved butter chicken. We didn't add any heat. There was still beautiful spice in it, but there was no actual heat. And they really enjoyed that, which warms my heart."

And if butter-heavy recipes are a part of spending a little more time cooking with his kids, so be it. In another interview with Huffington Post, Matheson declared his love of getting to have his kids in the kitchen with him: "There's so many sweet little moments. You're just cooking regularly, and you're holding the baby, and your kid's holding onto your hip trying to look, and there's a kid sitting on the counter, and you're making congee."