Open Country opens butter plant
When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.
Lewis Road Creamery has again teamed up with Whittaker’s to deliver Chocolate Butter, the first of its kind on supermarket shelves. The spread combines Lewis Road’s award-winning butter with Whittaker’s 72% Dark Ghana chocolate.
Lewis Road founder Peter Cullinane says the idea for a chocolate butter emerged during an afternoon tea of French pastries at the Lewis Road kitchen table.
“The French, who know a thing or two about butter, chocolate and pastries, have always had a soft spot for pain au chocolat and it got us thinking-- combine butter and chocolate in an easy-to-spread blend good with almost anything.
“We were off to the patisserie for more croissants then got out the blender to mix up a batch of chocolate and butter. We knew we were onto something special.”
Other so-called chocolate spreads contain a lot of palm oil, sugar but no real chocolate, Cullinane says.
“Our Chocolate Butter... is a real chocolate spread made from simple, quality ingredients.”
Holly Whittaker says the chocolate butter is an example of true innovation.
“Our customers love it when they see their favourite chocolate used in new ways.... We can’t wait to hear what New Zealanders think.”
In store chillers the product comes in gold pottles located next to Lewis Road’s other premium butters. It was launched October 20. RRP $8.99.
