FAQs

Regular supermarket butter, also called sweet cream butter, is made simply by churning fresh cream. The milk sugars (lactose) are left intact, giving it a mild, neutral flavour.

Cultured butter takes an extra step: the cream is fermented with live cultures before churning. Those cultures convert the lactose into lactic acid, giving the finished butter a tangy, complex, almost nutty depth of flavour. Think of it as the difference between plain milk and a good yoghurt. Same base ingredient, completely different result.

The fermentation process creates dozens of additional flavour compounds that simply don't exist in sweet cream butter. The result is a richer, more layered taste, buttery, yes, but also with a gentle tang, a hint of nuttiness and a lingering finish.

Chefs and food lovers around the world prize cultured butter for exactly this reason. It makes everything it touches taste more interesting, from a simple piece of toast to a fine pastry.

Across most of Europe, cultured butter has been the standard for centuries. Countries like France, Denmark and Germany never abandoned the fermentation step that industrial butter production dropped in the 20th century for the sake of speed and consistency.

What you'll often find labelled "European-style" in Australian supermarkets is simply a higher-fat version of sweet cream butter, not the same thing. Genuine cultured butter, made with live fermentation, is what you're getting from Lard Ass.

Absolutely. Cultured butter behaves exactly the same way in every application. Spread it, bake with it, melt it, sauté with it. The only difference is it'll make everything taste noticeably better.

It's particularly wonderful in pastry (croissants, shortcrust and puff), in sauces, and simply on good bread with a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Fermentation is one of humanity's oldest food traditions. In the context of butter, it works much like making yoghurt or baking sourdough. A natural starter culture is added to fresh cream and left to work at its own pace, converting the natural milk sugars into lactic acid and the rich, complex flavours that make cultured butter so distinctive.

Naturally fermented means we're working with living cultures rather than using artificial acidifiers or shortcuts that many large commercial producers use. The cultures do the work. We simply give them the time and conditions they need to thrive. The result is a flavour you simply can't fake or rush.

The same beneficial cultures are used to make foods like yoghurt, cheese, sour cream, sourdough bread, kimchi and sauerkraut. They've been used safely in food production for thousands of years.

As the cultures ferment the cream, they naturally create an environment that's less hospitable to harmful bacteria. The acidity they produce also acts as a natural preservative, which is one of the reasons cultured dairy products often have a longer shelf life than their uncultured counterparts.

Culturing cream takes time, skill and patience. As butter production became industrialised during the 20th century, many manufacturers abandoned the fermentation step in favour of speed, consistency and lower costs.

The result was butter that was cheaper and more predictable, but much of its depth of flavour was lost along the way.

At Lard Ass, we do things differently. We culture our cream because we think real flavour is worth waiting for, then finish every batch by hand to make sure it leaves us exactly as it should.

The fermentation process uses live cultures to develop flavour in the cream before churning. By the time the butter is finished, most of the bacteria remain in the buttermilk that separates out, which is why cultured buttermilk is so alive and flavourful.

While cultured butter is not a probiotic supplement in the clinical sense, the fermentation process does produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, linked to gut health and anti-inflammatory effects. It's also a rich source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K2.

Cultured butter takes longer to make, uses premium ingredients, and can't be rushed. While regular butter can be churned almost immediately, our cream is cultured for hours before it's ready. That extra time develops the rich flavour and silky texture that make cultured butter so distinctive.

Our butter is made in small batches using fresh Victorian cream. Every batch receives hands-on attention throughout the process, from culturing and churning through to kneading, shaping and packing. It takes more time and more care, but we think butter should taste like butter. Real butter has real flavour.

Absolutely. Because cultured butter has a deeper, more complex flavour, that flavour carries through into your baking. You'll notice it in buttery biscuits, delicate cakes, flaky pastry and rich sauces.

It behaves just like regular butter in recipes, so there's no need to adjust quantities or methods. Simply substitute it wherever a recipe calls for butter and let the flavour do the work.

Yes. Butter is naturally gluten free, and our cultured butter contains only cream, live cultures and salt. There are no added stabilisers, fillers or preservatives.

Yes. Our cultured butter is suitable for vegetarians. It's made using fresh cream, live cultures and salt, with no animal-derived rennet or other ingredients commonly associated with cheese production.

Both are made using the same naturally fermented cream and traditional butter-making process. The only difference is the addition of salt to our salted butter.

Salted butter is perfect for spreading, finishing vegetables, serving with bread and everyday cooking. Unsalted butter gives you complete control over seasoning, making it the preferred choice for baking, pastry and recipes where precision matters.

We start with fresh, high-quality cream sourced from local Victorian dairy farmers. The cream is carefully blended with our starter cultures and left to ferment at a carefully controlled temperature. This can take anywhere from 12 to 24 hours depending on conditions. We're patient here. Flavour cannot be rushed.

Once the cream has thickened, developed its characteristic tang, and reached the right level of acidity, it's ready to churn. The churning separates the fat from the cultured buttermilk, forming fresh butter. We then knead the butter to expel any remaining buttermilk before salting, shaping and packing each batch by hand.

We source our cream from Victorian dairy farms located near our factory in Ocean Grove. Butter has very few components, so every one of them has to be exceptional. We're proud to use Australian dairy and work with local producers, keeping our supply chain as short as possible.

Yes. Lard Ass Butter is an artisan operation. Every batch is made in small quantities with proper hands-on attention at each stage. Ours is a hands-on process, not an automated one. That's the whole point.

The kneading, shaping and finishing is done by hand, which means no two batches are exactly identical. That's a feature, not a bug.

Cream, live cultures and salt. That's it. No stabilisers, no artificial flavours, no preservatives, no fillers. The cultured fermentation process itself naturally extends shelf life. We don't need to add anything artificial to make a product that keeps well and tastes extraordinary.

In the fridge: Store your butter wrapped, in an airtight container or covered butter dish in the coldest part of your fridge. Kept this way, it will stay at its best for up to 3–4 weeks.

On the counter: During the cooler months, butter can safely sit out in a covered butter dish for up to 5–7 days. In summer, we'd recommend no more than 2–3 days at room temperature before returning it to the fridge, particularly if your kitchen gets warm.

In a butter bell: A French-style butter bell is our favourite way to keep butter soft, spreadable and protected from the air. It uses a small amount of water to create a natural seal, keeping your butter fresh and ready to enjoy. We have butter bells available in our shop if you'd like to give one a try.

Yes. Butter freezes beautifully and will keep for up to 6–9 months without losing quality. Wrap it tightly in baking paper, then place it in an airtight container or freezer bag to protect it from air and odours.

When you're ready to use it, thaw it overnight in the fridge. It will taste every bit as good as the day it was frozen.

Cultured butter is naturally richer in colour than most supermarket butter, thanks to the quality of the cream and the traditional culturing process. A deep golden colour is completely normal.

Butter that's past its best will develop a sharp, unpleasant, almost soapy smell that's unmistakable. The surface may also become darker and develop a waxy-looking layer as it oxidises.

Note that cultured butter has a naturally tangy, slightly complex aroma. That's not the same as rancid. If you're unsure, taste a tiny amount. The flavour will tell you immediately whether it's right.

Always use a clean knife when cutting from the block. Introducing crumbs or other flavours can shorten shelf life.

For spreading, take your butter out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before you need it. Cold butter tears bread. Room-temperature butter glides.

Store away from strong-smelling foods. Butter absorbs surrounding aromas, so keep it covered and away from onions, garlic and strong cheeses in the fridge.

We pack every order with insulated packaging and gel cold packs to keep your butter at a safe temperature throughout transit. Our packaging is designed to maintain the cold chain from our hands to yours.

All orders are dispatched at the beginning of the week to avoid butter sitting in a courier depot over a weekend. We'll confirm your dispatch day and estimated arrival by email when your order is placed.

We currently ship across Australia. Due to the perishable nature of our butter, we ship to metro and regional areas with reliable next-day or two-day courier access and, where we can, use a refrigerated service.

We don't currently ship internationally. Australian biosecurity regulations restrict the import and export of dairy products, and we want to be certain your butter arrives in perfect condition.

If you're unsure whether we can reach you, get in touch before ordering and we'll check.

We use express courier services to keep transit times as short as possible. Typical delivery times are 1–2 business days for Victorian and metro addresses, and 2–3 business days for other states and regional areas.

You'll receive a tracking number as soon as your order is dispatched so you can keep an eye on exactly where it is.

Place your parcel straight into the fridge as soon as it arrives. The cold packs are designed to keep things cool in transit but aren't a substitute for refrigeration.

Your butter should arrive firm or slightly softened but never liquid. If it has melted completely or smells off on arrival, please take a photo and contact us immediately. We'll make it right.

Because butter is a perishable product, it's important that your parcel is refrigerated as soon as possible after delivery, particularly during warmer weather.

If you know you won't be home, we recommend having your order delivered to a workplace, a neighbour, or another address where it can be refrigerated promptly.

If your parcel is delivered and left unattended outdoors, particularly in hot weather, the condition of the butter can quickly deteriorate. Once it has been exposed to prolonged heat, we can't guarantee its quality or suitability for consumption.

We take quality seriously and we stand behind every batch we send out. If your butter arrives damaged, melted or not as described, please contact us at contact@lardass.com.au within 24 hours of delivery with a photo. We'll sort it out. A replacement or a refund, your choice.

We're a small operation and your satisfaction matters enormously to us. Don't hesitate to reach out.

Absolutely. During checkout, you can add gift wrapping, a greeting card and a personalised message to make your gift extra special. You'll find all the available options in our shop.

Yes. Many of our products are available as subscriptions, so you never have to worry about running out of butter. Simply visit the product you're interested in, and you'll find the available subscription options on that product page.