Better butter

One of the things we've really noticed since going supermarket-free is how much nicer our food tastes.

I've argued for a long time that organic vegetables from a greengrocer or veg box delivery scheme like the one we use are much much tastier than the bland, out-of-season and under-ripe supermarket offerings. And I've already blogged about how Neil has been delighted with the quality of the meat he's been getting from butchers and farm shops.

But after careful consideration we really do feel that pretty much everything we've been buying tastes better than the stuff  we used to get from the supermarket - no doubt because we're now going to specialist producers/shops and buying from people, farmers, bakers and other businesses who really care about their produce.

Even the humble packet of butter has now become something of a taste sensation. Before starting this challenge Neil usually bought something like Lurpak or Co-op Spreadable, while I often went for margarine instead. But since January we've been buying our butter from local farm shops and delis, I've ditched the marge, and we've really noticed the difference. It's been richer and creamier and full of flavour.

We are genetically programmed to seek out high energy food, which is why butter tastes so good - it's made of 80% fat. But really good butter needs to be made from good quality cream, so it follows that better quality butter will taste better.

Humans have been eating butter for thousands of years and apparently (you will recall that I'm not religious) there are a number of references to it in the bible. But in the latter half of the 20th century butter got something of a bad reputation and a lot of us switched to eating margarine instead. However thankfully it's now enjoying a come-back as we have realised that the trans-fats in some brands of marge are actually much worse for our health than butter. Margarine is a processed food while butter is a natural product made simply from milk.

Margarine is, in fact, so unnatural that it has to be artificially coloured yellow - otherwise it would be an unappetising shade of grey.

A recent study by scientists in the US concluded that margarine is actually much more damaging to health than butter.

As well as containing saturated fat, butter also provides vitamins A, D, K and E. Saturated fat, in small quantities, is essential for the production of certain hormones, is present in cell membranes and aid the absorption of some vitamins and minerals. Butter also contains the sort of cholesterol that is vital for brain and nervous system development.

So don't feel guilty about eating butter - just go for the extra rich, extra creamy variety from grass-fed cows and shun the pale ultra-processed stuff. As ever, your local farm shop is a great starting point.

The butter we're using at the moment is from Netherend Farm, a Gloucestershire dairy that specialises in producing butter. The farmers, who have been at the site for generations, began making butters in the 1980s when the demand for fresh pasturised milk meant there was a surplus of cream.

The butter is still traditionally churned today and there are no additives, flavourings or colourings - just a pinch of salt.