It’s fair to say there are few things quite as enjoyable as butter, whether it’s melting into a slice of toast or bringing together a decadent sauce we could eat by the spoonful. It’s a kitchen superstar and the foundation of countless dishes, at home in everything from pastas to cakes. It makes sense, then, that mixing it with everything from garlic to ‘nduja has become so popular. Chefs are singing flavoured butter’s praises (Michael Bremner infuses his with chilli oil, while Scott Davies is partial to a cultured seaweed variety) and they’ve certainly proved a hit on social media; on TikTok the butter hashtag has a whopping 24 billion views (butter boards, anyone?). An incredibly easy way of adding an extra hit of flavour to staple recipes, a fridge full of flavoured butters is fast becoming a must for home cooks.

The team at Sublime Butter certainly agrees. Having sprung into life in 2019, the brand has built a reputation for its gourmet – and award-winning – flavoured butters. Some of the highlights include truffle, Parmesan and black pepper (No. 12), red chilli, smoked salt and lime (No. 8) and chimichurri (No. 17) — plus many others, including a particularly extravagant Barbary duck, morello cherry and 100-year-old Grand Marnier butter. Their ethos centres around using only the finest, natural ingredients, which are carefully blended with their butters in the heart of Somerset. That drive for quality is a mindset they’re keen for us all to adopt, and one which involves challenging stereotypes around butter and spreadable alternatives. After all, the margarine bubble of the 1980s has started to burst. We know lower calorie doesn’t always equate to health, and where Sublime’s artisanal butter is made with high quality cream and salt, margarines (and even some butters) usually include oils, stabilisers and preservatives. When it comes to getting the most from butter, Sublime wants us to look at the back of the packet and buy based on simplicity, quality and transparency. That, and to get creative – to go beyond just slathering butter on crusty bread and finishing steaks, incorporating it into our everyday cooking. That’s how the chefs do it. Well, challenge accepted. Here, we’ve taken a look at just some of the ways we can put Sublime's flavoured butters to good use.

We’ll kick off with the final step in our cooking, and one of the easiest ways to get the most from flavoured butters – as a finisher. Using a generous pad of butter to finish steak or grilled seafood requires no extra effort, but you’ll be rewarded with a new depth of flavour. As the weather warms up, there are few better ways to put this into action than on the barbecue – we’re thinking garlic and herb butter on grilled chicken, red chilli, smoked salt and lime with prawns or chimichurri on charred vegetables like asparagus or leeks. 

Butter and spuds are already a match made in heaven, so adding in a flavoured variety is only going to enhance the end result. The potential here is endless – why not throw in some cubes with your Sunday roast potatoes (herby, citrusy or garlicky choices would work particularly well) or stir them in with mashed potatoes for a twist on a classic. You could finish a gnocchi dish (don’t miss our guide to making the Italian dumpling here) with a richly-flavoured butter, or – following the lead of chef ​​Jozef Rogulski above – bake a rosti until golden and crispy in one (we’re thinking truffle and Parmesan). And for a quick swap that requires minimal effort? Swap your usual butter for a flavoured choice next time you’re finishing new potatoes for dinner in the garden or pulling a perfectly fluffy jacket spud out of the oven.

Pasta and bread are the ultimate vessels for butter. A simple, buttery pasta is one of life’s true culinary delights, and one of the simplest ways to create luxurious but straightforward suppers. From a seafood linguine with a béarnaise butter to a rich rigatoni with garlic and herb butter, there’s a whole world of combinations to explore. And then there’s bread. As far as we’re concerned, butter on a slice of freshly-baked bread is hard to top – but slathering a flavoured choice on toasted sandwiches, tossing croutons in it or even baking it in a savoury sharing bread comes pretty close.

Chefs often say that sauces are the most important part of a dish, bringing together all the ingredients and flavours on the plate. Power up your sauces by subbing in a flavoured butter  for your regular one. Using one as the base of a roux will reinvigorate your béchamels and veloutés, and it’s a simple way to upgrade already indulgent butter sauces (a particularly good idea when it comes to cooking fish – try a spicy, fragrant option for recipes with bold Southeast Asian flavours, or a zingy lemon butter for more classic recipes).

Butter is hugely versatile, enhancing dishes both sweet and savoury. It’s also incredibly easy to cook with, making kitchen experiments far less daunting. As Sublime Butter knows, adding a steady stream of flavoured butters to your fridge is one of the easiest, quickest ways to shake up old classics and stumble on new favourites.