Purchasers for businesses may be unfamiliar with the differences between compound butter vs. butter, especially if they’re new to the kitchen.
However, this introduction to the differences between the two makes it easier to compare them. Discover why businesses should purchase flavored butter instead of making it in-house, and how to tell them apart.
What Is the Difference Between Compound Butter vs. Regular Butter?
In its most basic form, butter is a fat derived from milk or cream, with at least 80 percent milk fat in its composition according to FDA standards. It can come in either salted or unsalted varieties.
Compound butter, also known as finishing butter, is a type of specialty butter that includes herbs, spice blends, and other types of additional ingredients to change its flavor. It’s important to note that the presence of salt alone does not usually constitute finishing butter.
What Are the Ingredients in Compound Butter?
Let’s start with the easiest part. The most important ingredient for any finishing butter is butter itself. Whether it’s salted or unsalted, this is the base on which the rest of your compound butter recipe is built.
From there, the sky is pretty much the limit—and we love it when people come to us with unique or unusual finishing butter ideas.
Herbs like parsley and sage (and rosemary and thyme) or garlic are popular, especially as finishing butter for meat and fish dishes. However, we’ve worked with our customers to provide even more unique elements, including blue cheese, bacon shallot, soy ginger, and more.
Which Types of Businesses Benefit from Using Compound Butter?
It’s almost easier to say which kinds of businesses don’t benefit from using flavored butter in their recipes. Nevertheless, here are some of the different types of businesses we’ve helped with our compound butter capabilities over the years:
- Restaurants: From regional fast food chains to upscale fine dining, restaurants of all types use our compound butter to give each dish on their menu an added finishing touch.
- Consumer packaged goods: Finishing butter elevates fresh and frozen products, prepared meals, heat-and-serve entrées, side dishes of all types, and meal kit services.
- Retail: The custom flavors of compound butter make it easier to sell high-quality dishes in your key perimeter areas and increase store traffic overall.
- Airlines and cruise ships: On business and first-class international voyages, the unique flavors help passengers have the lavish dining experience they deserve.
These are just a few examples of the businesses that can benefit from using premade compound butter for their food service needs.
Why Should Businesses Buy Compound Butter Instead of Making It?
In many cases, restaurants and kitchens will create their own flavored butter blend in-house. However, there are many benefits to purchasing premade compound butter instead, such as:
- Time savings: Making custom flavored butter from scratch can take an average of nine hours each week for the prep work alone. Purchasing it saves your kitchen crew time, freeing them up to do other tasks in a setting where the work is never done.
- Reduced labor costs: In conjunction with the time savings, you’ll also be able to save on potential overtime costs because your employees no longer have to spend hours each week making it themselves.
- Lower margin of error: When your team has to make their own compound butter, there’s always a risk that they’ll add the wrong ingredients or make other mistakes along the way. Having premade compound butter ensures consistency and reduces the likelihood of having to throw away several pounds of expensive ingredients due to human error.
- Guaranteed quality: Working with a reputable distributor that has a BRC Grade AA certification ensures the compound butter you serve to your guests is always of the highest quality and is being produced, prepped, and handled according to the highest standards.
Developing Your Brand’s Custom Compound Butter
Have a custom compound butter flavor in mind that you want your team to replicate at scale? We can help you with that as a custom flavored butter supplier.
We’ve developed unique flavor combinations ranging from hot honey butter to Asian BBQ to Mexican street corn. The crave-worthy possibilities are truly endless when you partner with Butterball Farms.
Develop Your Custom Compound Butter with Us
Let’s talk flavor! Connect with us today to talk about creating a custom butter that’s unique to your business and befitting your brand’s custom flavor experience.