Last August, nearly 30 San Francisco fashion influencers gathered on a butterstick-shaped bench across from a wedding cake-shaped sculpture made of butter. As girlies on TikTok and Instagram danced in yellow dresses and posed with head-sized croissants, a carefully branded brunch event hosted by American “European-style” butter brand Plugrá at San Francisco’s chic 1 Hotel revealed that butter has entered new territory, not just as a luxury item but as an over-the-top status symbol.
Evidence of butter’s influence on fashion is growing: highlight it as a campaign props As the inspiration behind the surreal for fashion brands Jacquemus and J.Crew perfumeor as the main event for the launch of the influential gender-neutral clothing brand NUMÉRO 202020. Find it at the heart of the influencer craft. branch in new york citysponsored by Kerrygold. See what Timothée Chalamet has to say. Butter yellow clothing trends Wear a Givenchy suit to the 2025 Oscars or score Molly Baz’s latest butter yellow cookware colorway collaboration Along with our location. Or go to a gourmet specialty deli and observe that the price is almost double that of a regular issue stick of butter at the grocery store. Brands like Plugrá, Kerrygold, Beurremont, and Le Beurre Bordier are taking center stage online and IRL.
Plugrá activation scene.
The Path of a Brooklyn Baker and Recipe Developer Laurie Ellen Pellicano “Butter, which was once the exclusive preserve of high-end cheese shops, is now sold everywhere,” he says. But San Francisco Influencers Really Make an Influence and Add Followers Starting at $8.39 Is it worth 4 sticks? and run the estimate 8.6 million Do American home bakers really care? Fancy butter is certainly a luxury, but does it translate into sales? Is it worth the hype?
Butter is no stranger to hype and fanfare, as a 2022 viral ad powered by TikTok proves. butter board Trends and 2024 have led to bizarrely shaped, oversized butter sculptures appearing at status events from dinner parties and product launches to influencer weddings. But if these trends are rooted in aesthetics, these newly influential butter brands are spending their marketing budgets to highlight the benefits of European-style butter’s high fat content.
Major retailers such as Costco and BJ’s are getting into the premium butter business.
For recipe developer influencers working in the baking field, this is truly a game changer and a great opportunity to learn more. “I’m always thinking about what I can buy at the grocery store,” says Brandon Cochran, Sourdough baker and content creator from Granville, Massachusetts. “Ten to 15 years ago, you wouldn’t have asked for high-fat European-style butter in a recipe, but now you’re going to want a specific type of butter in your puff pastry or croissant,” says Cochrane.More fat creates creamier, richer breads, flakier croissants, and more decadent brioche. “It’s available, and people like me and content creators talk about the nuances of it. You can literally taste the difference.”
Pellicano, a baker known for his cookies, worked as a recipe tester for Samin Nosrat’s new book Good Things. Her cardamom shortbread recipe is included in the book, and a limited edition cookie tin was also sold to coincide with the publication. As more people realize that not all butter is created equal, she says, “I think it’s similar to how we’ve been educating home cooks about using different olive oils for cooking and eating.”
Milk fat percentage in the United States is 80-82%, while in Europe it is 82-85%. Pellicano favors Bourmont, an 83 percent fat butter from Vermont that he says “creams like a dream and bakes like a champ.” Overall, she says, “Fancy has this gorgeous color, less breakage, and a lot less moisture,” but it’s most noticeable in no-bake applications like buttercream. “When you’re basically just mixing butter and sugar, there’s no place for mediocre butter to hide.”
When butter is the star of your life’s home cooking movie, it’s worth joining the hype. “Think biscuits, brioche, croissants, pound cake,” says Andrew Littlefield, a Detroit-based baker and content creator. He is known on social media as:bagel and pizza manIn such a case, little field He says he will pay a premium for cultured butter with a fat content as high as 86% if he can find it, and prefers products imported from France. “Once rare, we now see brands like Président, Isigny Sainte-Mer and even Rodolphe Le Meunier quite often,” he says. “Recipes with fewer ingredients require more butter. Let’s be honest, regular American butter doesn’t have enough fat or flavor to match.”
Cultured butter, which is fermented before stirring, brings a tangy, nutty flavor to the baking process, contributing to “richer, more flavorful baked goods with a little bit of character,” says Littlefield.
Still, the best butter isn’t always the centerpiece of stylish events and collaborations. Both Cochran and Littlefield cite Vermont Creamery butter, which has 82 percent milk fat. Since it is relatively expensive, From about $7.99 It’s an 8-ounce tube, but it’s not exactly trendy. “They’re making high-quality butter without having to cross oceans, which is great in my opinion,” Littlefield says.
When butter is the star of your life’s home cooking movie, it’s worth joining the hype.
However, in some cases, reaching for premium butter is not only expensive, but also objectively unnecessary or wrong. “If I’m baking something like oatmeal cookies and have a lot of other flavors, I’ll just use something more basic like Kirkland,” he says. Halina Halavrtawho owns a cottage bakery business in Pleasant Hill, California. “There’s no need to be fancy when you don’t have the focus.” Additionally, using premium butter in everyday recipes like cookies, cakes, and muffins “can cause problems,” says Littlefield. “Cookies in particular have a high fat content, so they spread better.”
The continued interest in salt and other premium cooking products, such as olive oil, signals that change is occurring in every aisle of the grocery store. When it comes to butter, there is growing interest in the compound or craft “flavor” market, with new entrants including: better butter, Churnbased in Singapore bayou Flavors include black truffle, miso, hot honey, and bruschetta. consumer report point to Interest in high-quality butter is increasing as part of “a little luxury” movement– The pursuit of small, affordable luxury. Marketing budgets have increased accordingly.
“Our influencer partnerships expanded meaningfully in 2025,” says Jenny Melman, senior director of marketing for Dairy Farmers of America, Plugrá’s umbrella brand. According to Mailman, brands’ marketing budgets are increasing by 15-20% in 2025, and he wouldn’t be surprised if they increase by another 10% in 2026. Remember that fashion influencer event? “We view cooking and baking as an art and a science,” Melman says. “And I think fashionistas understand and appreciate the idea that great ingredients and materials are important.” Premium Butter may not have established itself as a cashmere sweater yet, but there’s more to come.
Photo: Kerrygold (Shutterstock), Plugrá (Chelsea Gee Photography)
