The Rare, Fancy Butter You Might Have Noticed On The Bear

Season 3 of smash hit series "The Bear" allows viewers a glimpse of what it takes to open a hot new restaurant. Things get especially intense when Uncle Jimmy, head chef Carmy's primary investor, notices a $11,268 bill for butter. "It's Orwellian," Carmy answers, in an attempt to justify the cost. You might assume, as Jimmy does, that this means it's somehow related to George Orwell's body of work. But in fact, Carmy is referring to the very real butter sold by Vermont's Animal Farm Creamery. 

This dairy has made a name for itself by churning out luxurious hand-rolled butter for high-end establishments like Per Se and The French Laundry. Founder Diane St. Clair, who launched the enterprise in 2000, kicked it off with a committment to fragrant, rich, and seasonal dairy products. Though the business was sold in 2022, the farm continues to produce superb butter restaurants actively seek out. With a seriously high butterfat content — it clocks in around 87% — it makes a major impression with a single taste. As you might expect, creating such an excellent product takes a lot of careful work.

In order to make Animal Farm Creamery's noticeably yellow butter, Jersey cream taken from grass-fed cows is first skimmed by hand, then cultured for at least one whole day with a buttermilk starter. Then, the butter is churned, kneaded, and rolled by hand before being carefully packaged and sold. Animal Farm's unsalted, cultured butter offers a sweet tasting experience, while a quick sprinkle of salt brings some of the butter's more savory aspects to delicious life.

Want to try the butter for yourself? Then you'll need to carefully monitor Saxelby Cheesemongers' website and note the dates they plan to release it for sale; orders go quickly for 1-pound batches of the stuff. One purchase costs $60 before shipping and handling, and you'll have roughly two weeks to enjoy the butter at optimal freshness. Should you not be able to finish the entire batch before the recommended use-by date, you can freeze it to extend its lifespan. Sometimes your dining table deserves a bit of a splurge, and this Carmy-approved ingredient could very well be it.