Butter, long a quiet star-maker elevating some of our favorite dishes in kitchens around the world, has recently taken on a new role: that of a culinary star. It’s no longer just a humble spread or cooking ingredient, it’s now being celebrated in its own right, from high-end restaurant presentations to gracing social media feeds. Especially since certain types of fat are no longer seen as the devil. Its rich, creamy texture and simple ingredients are commanding attention, driving the demand for luxury butters. 

The creative use of butter is driving its recent renaissance, representing how butter has become a centerpiece of culinary creativity, offering endless possibilities for flavor combinations and presentation.

Bulletproof coffee made butter a darling of the keto and paleo enthusiasts, as users extolled the virtues of all that saturated fat especially for weight loss and mental focus. 

Borrowing from cheese and charcuterie boards, butter boards became a bit of a viral sensation on social media a couple of years ago, with incredibly photo-worthy preps. These boards required high-quality butters to keep that shape and not melt off the sides, which also saw interest piquing in luxury butters.

And reaching another high, as high-end restaurants are capitalizing on this movement as well. They are transforming butter into a stand-alone dish, serving it with intricate garnishes or offering it tableside with fanfare. These presentations are part of a broader trend in which simple ingredients are elevated to gourmet status. Butter services in some cases can set you back by nearly US$40 a pop.

And let’s not forget the accessories. At one point, you couldn’t even doomscroll YouTube without tripping over reviews for butter crock videos and those holey butter knives.

The rise of luxury butters

So, what exactly makes butter luxury? 

Well, it’s all about the details. Luxury butters often feature higher butterfat content – typically around 82% or more – giving them a richer, creamier texture. Many are made using traditional methods, like slow churning or fermenting the cream before churning, which creates deeper, more complex flavors. European-style butters, for instance, are prized for their smooth consistency and tangy undertones, thanks to their cultured cream base.

These butters are often sourced from select farms or regions where the focus is on quality over quantity, like using milk from grass-fed cows. And these luxury butters stand out for their flavor, texture, and the artisanal touch behind them. 

We reached out to Marie Quénet, the Area Manager APAC for Laiterie Terre de Sèvre, which owns the luxury butter brand Échiré. To give us an idea of how luxury butters are significant in the overall market, she highlighted Échiré’s own provenance. 

“The Echiré brand was created in 1894 and today it is synonymous with quality and excellence. This is the only butter to be made in wooden churns for nearly 130 years. It is the first butter to be awarded AOP Beurre Charentes-Poitou, coming from a unique terroir between land and sea, covering five departments in the west of France: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux -Sèvres (where Echiré is located), Vienne, and Vendée. 

The Protected Designation of Origin or Appellation d’Origine Protégéé in French (AOP) label is a recognized quality indicator and links the product to producers promoting a terroir, a history, and authentic know-how, shared from generation to generation. AOP Beurre Charentes-Poitou complies with very precise specifications, from the rearing of the cows to the production of the finished product, and is subject to regular checks.”

Marie also adds that the butter is internationally recognized for its quality, flavor with notes of hazelnut, and extremely malleable texture. With Échiré butter, the area of origin is so defined that its flavor is traceable and distinct, validated by organoleptic tests.

Why now?

It’s not like butter was never popular, it was just taken for granted as a pantry staple. Then the pandemic hit and people started baking and cooking in a big way again, giving butter sales a significant bump up. Some companies even saw record sales during this period, and retail sales of butter did well enough to make up for the lack of institutional sales. AI-driven market research company Tastewise reported that social media conversations on butter grew by 23% over the past year.  

There’s also been a broader consumer shift toward high-quality, natural foods. More people are seeking out products that are simple, wholesome, and free from artificial additives and preservatives – something these luxury butters deliver in spades. With its minimal ingredients and natural fats, butter is being embraced as a healthier, cleaner, and more authentic alternative to highly processed spreads and refined oils (in moderation, of course).

Also adding to butter’s popularity is the growing backlash against seed oils, which are often seen as overly refined or unhealthy fats or “industrial”, mostly by the real experts of the day, a.k.a., social media fitness influencers. In contrast, butter is viewed as a better-for-you option. 

The dairy industry in the US has even staked a claim, saying that their own PR campaigns played a role in the butter board boom among consumers. As milk feels the heat from its plant-based counterparts, dairy companies are looking to more value-added products, like cheese, cottage cheese, butter, and condensed milk, to make up. So, now we’re seeing specialty offerings that are organic, grass-fed, or infused with a variety of flavors. This focus on premium butter is helping dairies meet consumer demand for better fats while allowing them to stand out in a competitive market.

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The growing butter market

The global butter market is projected to grow from US$41.7 billion in 2024 to US$58.2 billion in 2032, at a CAGR of 4.26%. 

Europe and North America have long been strong markets for butter, and the focus for premium, organic, and clean-label butters are fueling the growth of the market. As consumers continue to seek out better fats and cleaner foods, the butter market is expected to continue its upward trajectory, expanding both in established and emerging markets.

But Asia-Pacific is where the action is, accounting for 38.6% of the global butter market, making it the largest market. Not only is the market boosted by significant consumption in South Asia (which also includes ghee), but is also being driven by the rising popularity of baked goods across Asia as well as the growing interest in premium dairy products among the growing middle class in the region. 

Marie added, “The purchasing power in Asia has increased in the past few years, as has globalization. People are looking for new trends coming from Europe, new products different from what they can find in their country. France is recognized for quality and luxury products, including the food. And high-quality French butter is synonymous with this.”

Échiré entered Asia, starting with Japan, about 30 years ago through its partner Kataoka. They have opened eight concept stores in Japan so far, which has helped drive brand recognition in the region. The butter concept shops create high-quality pastries and confectioneries made with Échiré butter, and this has contributed to the quality and luxury image of the brand. Marie said that following this interest, the brand has expanded to other parts of Asia, including Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines. Échiré also launched two new concept stores in Bangkok in 2023.

Butter’s evolution as an affordable luxury

Butter’s rise to stardom is not just about exclusivity, it’s also about accessibility. As consumer concerns over the cost of living are high, butter is even being positioned as an affordable luxury. 

The concept of affordable luxury has become increasingly popular, where even a simple ingredient like butter can offer a taste of indulgence without breaking the bank. Brands and retailers have embraced this by offering artisanal and compound butters that are priced for the everyday consumer. These products cater to those seeking a premium, restaurant-style experience at home, without the high-end price tag.

For instance, Walmart’s new private label brand, Bettergoods, launched in 2024, offers a line of flavored butters, offering options like black truffle or cinnamon honey at under US$3. These kinds of innovations make luxury butter available to a wider audience, blending the desire for premium quality with the realities of everyday shopping. 

Butter has come a long way from being a mere spread to becoming a symbol of culinary indulgence. Its transformation into a luxury product reflects a broader shift in how consumers approach food. People are seeking out quality, simplicity, and authenticity, and butter is the perfect embodiment of those desires.

As the global butter market continues to grow, driven by trends like affordable luxury, premium product innovation, and the rising demand for better fats, butter’s future looks bright. 

Read the rest of our chat with Marie:

GourmetPro: What are the differences in how this interest in luxury butter is playing out in Asia versus Western markets? 

Marie: In France, butter is seen as a commodity, not a luxury product. French consumers buy butter for daily use, for breakfast, for cooking. It is not an interest, but rather a necessity. Consumers here are also attached to local products from their region. Hence, they might have a different vision of what is a luxury butter depending on the region.

In Asia on the other hand, particularly in Southeast and East Asia, people buy premium butter occasionally, for making cakes or for trying something different from time to time. As it is just an occasional purchase, consumers are willing to buy a higher quality product and have a higher interest for luxury butter. Asian consumers are also attached to quality certification and food security. The AOP is a recognized quality certification, making AOP butters fall under the luxury butters category.

GP: What criteria does Échiré use to identify and prioritize new markets for expansion?

Marie: First, we need to know if there is an interest for luxury butter in the market and we do this through extensive market research. We check if other French butter brands are present in that particular market, which indicates that there is already demand. Of course, we also need to find a distributor who understands our brand and who will know how to bring this luxury image to the final customers. It is important to focus on the added value of Echiré butter and to know how to differentiate it from other brands.

GP: Is there a difference in positioning within the luxury segment across different markets?

Marie: Not really. However, the formats you can find on each market are different depending on the needs, local consumption habits, and import capacities of our distributors.

GP: What marketing strategies have been most effective in promoting Échiré butter in Asia?

Marie: The concept stores in Japan and Thailand have helped to promote Échiré butter, which is a unique concept amongst all the butter brands. The shops help to increase brand awareness, and the pastries made there will let the consumers remember the unique taste of our butter. 

In China and Taiwan, we also use the concept of co-branding (a limited edition product made between two brands) in order to offer something new and rare to the consumers. The co-brandings are very welcomed by the customers for the visibility of the brands.

We also have some shops around Asia which use only Échiré butter for all their pastries (you can check for a certification in the shop), which can help promote the brand by positioning the brand as the main ingredient.

GP: Are there any recent innovations or new product lines that Échiré has introduced to stay ahead of the competition?

Marie: We launched our professional butter sheet three years ago and this helped us to develop the other countries in Asia by targeting the food service sector. Entering the food service sector helped to reinforce our image on the market and towards the consumers.

We also regularly adapt to the market needs by launching new products (we launched a full fat milk this year, for example) or formats (we will launch different sizes and coffrets) in order to offer something new and maintain the demand. In addition, our brand history and unique way of making butter is appreciated by professionals and consumers; there is a story behind our Échiré brand.

GP: What advice would you give luxury F&B brands looking to expand to new markets?

Marie: It is important to convey the unique value that premium ingredients can offer to consumers, and to develop them in a unique positioning that other ingredients (or brands) cannot imitate. It is important to know the added value of your product and to know how to differentiate it from other brands. A unique product will be more appealing to the consumers and will be important for brand image.

Looking to expand into new markets in Asia?

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