{"id":299340,"date":"2026-02-15T12:41:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T12:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/299340\/"},"modified":"2026-02-15T12:41:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T12:41:08","slug":"its-what-butter-should-be-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/299340\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It\u2019s what butter should be\u2019 \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

The last 12 months have been monumental for Kerrygold<\/a> in Britain. Where once it was just another butter on shelves \u2013 and a nostalgic taste of home for expat Irish people \u2013 it has now become another calling card for Irish culture across the Irish Sea, joining the likes of stout, spice bags and chicken fillet rolls<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Kerrygold\u2019s newfound chicness among British consumers began sometime in April, when an upmarket London<\/a> homeware store teamed up with the brand to launch a limited edition run of butter knives, each with a green handle repurposed from Kerrygold\u2019s plastic waste and sold in a box reminiscent of the famous gold packaging. <\/p>\n

Queues outside Allday Goods in De Beauvoir were unfathomably long and, given just 50 knives were made on the first run, countless prospective buyers were left wanting. To satiate demand, hundreds more knives were produced. Another batch was on the way as of January 2026.<\/p>\n

The cutlery partnership was one of numerous marketing moves last year, these operating in tandem with the launch of Kerrygold\u2019s spreadable range into British supermarkets in March. It was no small undertaking. Back in Ireland, Kerrygold hosted its first influencer trip over the summer, taking British-based social media stars to its home in Cork<\/a> to extol the virtues of grass-fed cows, rolling hills and decades of Irish dairy heritage. Meanwhile, it teamed up with a number of British-based content creators to produce recipe videos. Who knew there would be such interest in beta carotene, the red-orange pigment found in luscious grass and which gives Irish butter its yellow hue?<\/p>\n

London-based Nell Carter (Instagram: @nellskitchn), known for her extravagant crisp-based sandwiches, was tasked with shooting six butter-based videos. Her latest creation is a leek and cheddar focaccia, served warm with Kerrygold and hot honey. She says: \u201cI\u2019ve got a partnership with the company to do six videos. Clearly, there\u2019s a drive to push on social media and I\u2019m very happy to be a part of it. I\u2019ve seen a growing presence, lots of hype around it.\u201d <\/p>\n

But it\u2019s more than business, says Carter: \u201cI like the taste. It\u2019s sort of the best of the accessible mid-range. It tastes creamier and richer. And I like the fact that it doesn\u2019t have a light version, which is a strong position to take in 2026 when everyone\u2019s diet-conscious. It\u2019s what butter should be.\u201d <\/p>\n

In November, the hype went further, as Kerrygold employed the expertise of Irish chef and MasterChef judge Anna Haugh<\/a> to host a dinner at her Chelsea restaurant Myrtle, one of the few London venues serving Corndale Farm chorizo from Limavady in Co Derry and the only one with beef boxty on its tasting menu. The Irish food photographer Steve Ryan, who cofounded the independent 40ft Brewery in Hackney, was there to document events.<\/p>\n

\"Kerrygold'sKerrygold’s limited edition butter knife <\/p>\n

\u201cThey did it with Angela Scanlon<\/a> and lots of influencers,\u201d Ryan says. \u201cI\u2019ve seen the volume turned up massively and I\u2019m seeing it more and more. And not just in a media sense \u2013 in kitchens too. Chefs are increasingly using Kerrygold in Britain. Which I suppose validates my already strong feelings towards it, given I grew up eating the stuff and would never buy anything else for daily use.\u201d <\/p>\n

As with any burgeoning trend, it\u2019s not all Kerrygold\u2019s doing, but part of something bigger. London, and Britain more broadly, is increasingly interested in Irish food and drink today, with cheeses such as Gubeen and Milleens now regular fixtures in high-end restaurants, and spice bags arriving as common parlance in pubs. Even Wetherspoon\u2019s does a version. And it won\u2019t be long before Beamish, the \u201cthird stout\u201d, is enshrined into the mainstream, with beer importer Cave Direct signing a deal late last year to take Beamish en masse to Britain for the first time. And so the name Kerrygold has transcended a mere ingredient, instead being inducted into a growing world of food-based pin-ups, each one a cultural touchstone as much as a point of patriotism for \u00e9migr\u00e9s. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot to this sudden wave of interest, I think,\u201d says Ryan. \u201cIt\u2019s hard not to be happy about Kerrygold. In the family of Irish products, it\u2019s one I truly love. I guess Barry\u2019s Tea will be next? Although I saw Paul Mescal wore his GAA shorts in New York not so long ago and kicked off a bit of a trend over there. I wonder if we can get that going in London?\u201d <\/p>\n

\"AnnaAnna Haugh (left) with fellow Masterchef judge, Grace Dent. Photograph: BBC\/Shine TV\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

It wouldn\u2019t be surprising. Outside the simple act of spreading butter on bread, Kerrygold has already curried enormous celebrity endorsements and fashion vogue. On a recent episode of The Graham Norton<\/a> Show, Britain\u2019s biggest talkshow, Colin Farrell explained that he made Margot Robbie<\/a> Tayto crisp sandwiches while filming 2025\u2019s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe were talking about the food of our childhoods and what evokes a sense of that bygone time,\u201d Farrell regaled. \u201cI talked about Tayto crisps, in a sandwich, with Kerrygold butter …\u201d The actor had hardly finished his recipe when the crowd cheered its name. Host Norton also approved, in his classically understated way.<\/p>\n

As for Kerrygold\u2019s undeliberate foray into sartorial happenings, that was down to the Meath designer Kimberley Tino, aka Maya Grisham, whose crystal-studded clutch bag went viral on TikTok in autumn, in Britain as much as Ireland. She said the piece was inspired by childhood memories of enjoying Tayto and Kerrygold butter on a baguette after school. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Kerrygold butter price cut by 9% across SuperValu and Centra storesOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Kerrygold owner Ornua \u2013 formerly the Irish Dairy Board \u2013 must be revelling in business success. Though sales figures have yet to be released for 2025, the 12 months prior saw the company witness its hero product become the second biggest butter brand in Britain, following Lurpak, which is made in Denmark by the dairy conglomerate Arla. <\/p>\n

\"KerrygoldKerrygold handbag by Maya Grisham <\/p>\n

Of course, as much as there\u2019s been a tangible buzz online, a plan to grow has long been in place. <\/p>\n

Patrick Blake, director for the UK and Europe at Ornua, said Kerrygold was the UK\u2019s fastest-growing block butter brand in 2024. The most recent sales figures available showed an 11 per cent sales increase year-on-year.<\/p>\n

\u201cKerrygold\u2019s presence in the UK dates back over 60 years with the brand first arriving on shelves across Liverpool and Manchester in 1962,\u201d said Blake. \u201cFrom there it has grown to become a global Irish success story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blake highlighted customer loyalty to \u201cstaples that offer great taste\u201d, leading to repeat purchases and said the brand\u2019s momentum had extended \u201cto the social conversation\u201d. He pointed to \u201cviral food trends like butter boards, \u2018butter yellow\u2019 summer wardrobe looks, and even cow tattoos\u201d.<\/p>\n

But few would have predicted the brand turning into 2026\u2019s must-have kitchen accessory in Britain. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a serious growing force,\u201d says Patrick Powell, an Irish chef in London. \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely huge now. I love it, so I get it, but it\u2019s kicked off in a big way. Maybe a bit more than expected. <\/p>\n

\"AA Tipperary grass-fed cow whose milk is destined for Kerrygold <\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s more than just another trend though, because whatever way you look at it, it\u2019s just a properly good butter \u2013 rich, creamy, beautifully yellow. It turns pomme pur\u00e9e a lovely golden colour. There are brilliant butters from all over, and very special ones from small farms and producers, but for the price, it can\u2019t really be beaten.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Powell is right, Kerrygold could overtake Lurpak by 2027 and become Britain\u2019s most popular butter. Good dairy, it seems, is worth its weight in gold.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The last 12 months have been monumental for Kerrygold in Britain. Where once it was just another butter…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":299341,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[141916,72,14209,13355,30387,61,60,132993,99,14208],"class_list":{"0":"post-299340","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-angela-scanlon","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-colin-farrell","11":"tag-food-production","12":"tag-graham-norton","13":"tag-ie","14":"tag-ireland","15":"tag-kerrygold","16":"tag-london","17":"tag-margot-robbie"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=299340"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/299340\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/299341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=299340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=299340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=299340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}