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31.05.11
Buttery Innovation Found in Old School Traditions
Going back as well as looking to the future has been the philosophy behind the genuine butter and buttermilk range that has just been released by The Butter Factory in Myrtleford, located in Victoria’s Alpine Country.
Mother and daughter team, Naomi and Bronwyn Ingleton, are behind this boutique venture that has brought an historic 1893 creamery and co-op - that ceased butter production in 1966 - back to life. Having both worked in some of Melbourne’s top restaurants, they packed their bags and set off for country life, purchasing and reopening The Butter Factory in 2007 and swiftly transforming it into the region’s most sought-after café. Day-trippers would frequently pop in and ask if they could see butter being churned. So, while Bronwyn kept the café pumping, Naomi let loose to explore the possibility.
First, she sought out some of the best butter in the world and came across Patrik Johansson of Sweden’s Vallmobacken, who provides butter to the world’s number one restaurant Noma. Affectionately known as Naomi’s “butter-buddy”, Patrik has provided valuable insights into the European tradition of butter making.
She then set out on what was to become an Australian first - developing her own blend of cultures with the help of Dairy Innovation Australia. Instead of adding freeze-dried culture, which is de rigeur in butter production, Naomi worked to create a fresher, richer flavour profile resulting in a bespoke blend just for her.
Keeping it local was also critical. Naomi uses the same local Murray Goulburn farmers from the Kiewa Valley who supplied the original Butter Factory with their cream. She also uses Mt Zero’s pink salt from Lake Dimboola. When Naomi performed her first ‘proper’ churn in August this year, it was the first the factory had seen in some 44 years, and Naomi invited Milne Mathews, 71, who worked at the factory as a churner all those years ago to be a part of the historic moment.
And the fun packaging just brings the whole story to life – a blend of the old, traditional labelling cues incorporated with the amusing quirks she has picked up from country living.
The end result is something Naomi is immensely proud of. “It was how I remember butter tasting. I grew up with my grandmother going over to a cousin’s dairy across the paddocks to collect the milk. She had the bread baking in the combustion stove and she would take off the cream, churn the butter and save the buttermilk for baking. I can still smell the bread, taste the butter and feel my feet warming near the oven on some old newspaper while I ate,” reflects Naomi.
And others seem to agree, with chefs such as Michael Ryan from Beechworth’s two-hatted restaurant, Provenance immediately falling in love with that truly genuine butter taste and serving it in his restaurant.
As an outcome of producing her very fine butter, Naomi has also created the first real buttermilk to hit the market in well over a generation. Traditional buttermilk is the viscous, leftover liquid from a butter churn - meaning it only contains cream and cultures; a far cry from the pasteurized and treated milk with added bacteria, which has been the only buttermilk most of us have known to date.
About the Butter:
A light and creamy European-style butter, it has a slight richness with mild acidity that cuts through the cream. Rather than leave a heavy film on the palate as many butters can, it finishes fresh, light and clean. The butter is churned in small batches, is individually hand-wrapped and contains just two simple ingredients, cows cream and cultures (plus a raw grain of pink salt flecked through the salted version).
About the Buttermilk:
It’s real buttermilk! Viscous and yoghurt-like to smell and taste. It can show a slight fizz on the tongue that is caused by the natural fermentation of the lactic acid, which is a beneficial component that aids in aerating whilst baking. The buttermilk is a product of the butter-making process and has only 2% fat. It has just two simple ingredients – cows cream and cultures. Its flavour and composition provide some great usage options such as:
- Baking: cakes, scones and breads will be light and fluffy, also substitute milk or cream for buttermilk in desserts;
- Marinating: the lactic acid helps tenderize meat;
- As a dressing: whisking it with mayonnaise, sour cream, herbs & lemon juice;
- As a drink: it’s lower in fat and aids digestion.
The Butter Factory Cultured & Unsalted Butter [250g] - RRP $9.50
The Butter Factory Cultures & Lightly Salted Butter [250g] - RRP $9.70
The Butter Factory Buttermilk [300mL] - RRP $3.50
www.thebutterfactory.com.au/
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