Grass-Fed Butter in Australia

Here are some of my tips on finding grass-fed butter in Australia.

From our research and contributions from farming industry insiders, there is no milk available from 100% Grass-fed cows. Generally, any grass-fed statements really mean 95% of grass in their diet, however when they are milked in the dairy, they are given brewers grain. This feeds the bacteria in the gut and helps the cows digest and produce good quality milk. Furthermore, during the dry periods, cows are supplemented with lucerne hay and grain.

Is organic butter from grass fed cows?
Not necessarily. It’s also important to note that the label “Organic” has no association with “Grass-Fed.” To make matters more confusing, Organic and 100% Organic mean two different things. Grass-Fed and Grass-Fed and Finished are also two different things. When we’re talking about cow’s milk from which butter is made, Grass-Fed and Finished isn’t even a consideration.

Bulletproof Coffee Tip: Unsalted grass-fed butter is recommended over salted versions. These will taste sweeter and creamier. Some advocates do recommend the addition of salt as a source of electrolytes which would otherwise be missing if your breakfast is just a bulletproof coffee. Collagen hydrolysate is another popular addition to add some protein content.

Grass-Fed Butter in Australia Buying Tip: Most health, wholefood and artisan stores (GoVita, AboutLife, Harris Farm etc) will usually have a good option for you.

Here are some butter recommendations in no particular order:

• Organic Times – Australia dairy farmed butter. This is the only butter brand that actually says “100% grass-fed cows” on the packaging.

• Westgold butter (available at most Woolies) – New Zealand dairy farmed butter. New Zealand is a wet country with lots of grass, its fundamentally uneconomical to farm dairy as a grain fed operation. Furthermore, being a wet country the drought risk is low (they don’t have to substitute grain to keep the farm going). This has been the standard kerrygold equivalent in Australia.

• Pepe Saya (increasingly available at all gourmet grocers and farmer’s markets). This is probably my favourite. It is Australian dairy farmed and offers complete traceability back to the farm where the milk is sourced. This is a real artisan style butter, with a unique flavour because it has been cultured and hand-made in small batches. These days, that level of care is hard to find in the food production industry. Having met Pierre Issa, the man behind it all, I can tell you this butter is made with the highest level of integrity.

• Ashgrove butter (order from their website) – Tasmania farmed butter. This butter is sold as grass-fed but as with all options, they do feed the cows some grain when they’re being milked. The amount of grain feed is minimal but still existent. We have used this butter at an event in Hobart. The result was one of the most delicious cups of Bulletproof Coffee ever!

• Myrtleford Cultured Butter – Butter made from pasture-fed cows and cultured with lactic bacteria for over 18 hours. Made from all grass fed cow cream sourced from Local Victorian Dairies. 82%+ butterfat butter.

• Woolworths HomeBrand – New Zealand dairy farmed butter (we suspect it comes from the same manufacturer as Westgold.) Woolworths have in fact said in writing that this butter is from 100% grass-fed cows). As we’ve already pointed out, 100% grass-fed is impossible, but good on their marketing team for keeping up appearances.

• Paris Creek – Australia butter from Fleurieu Peninsula near Adelaide. It has a rich yellow colour which is indicative of high levels of beta-carotene. It is available at health and gourmet food stores and has also been spotted at some Coles.

• Primal Collective – Grass-Fed Ghee is a great alternative for anyone who can’t handle dairy or if grass-fed butter is too hard to find. Ghee is essentially butter with the milk solids removed, making a paleo-friendly option. And it is quite literally just 100% FAT. Ghee has been used by traditional cultures as a cooking fat for millennia. The ghee is made in partnership with the world renowned Pepe Saya. Available online.

• True Organic is another Victorian butter options.made in Camperdown, Vic. Made with fresh cream that they claim results in an unusually sweet and yellow butter. Made from milk sourced directly from their very own farm. I can see how that could help create a remarkable butter! Also contains salt which changes the flavour of the coffee (not necessarily a bad thing, but it is a shock to the pallet if you’re not expecting it).

• Mainland Organic is another New Zealand butter option available at some Coles. Note that it is available only with salt.

Note: For anyone looking for KerryGold Grass-Fed Butter in Australia, it is not available. As listed above, we have plenty of local grass-fed options available.

Here is a good resource that I started on the BP exec forums, this has a lot more info on this topic for you guys to check out!

So I hope you know where to buy butter for your coffee! Please use the comments to share anything we may have missed. I’m sure everyone will be interested.

Originally published by Leon Wurfel on Optimoz.com.au on October 20, 2012.

Updated on February 25, 2016.