Pure Irish butter in Scotland.
Over the past few weeks I’ve been in far-flung parts of Scotland, England and Wales – but not Ireland (north or south).
I keep coming across this Lakeland Dairies butter at my breakfast tables. I haven’t found anything wrong with this butter but I am a bit puzzled as to its ubiquity.
In northeast Scotland the place where I came across this butter actually had a long provenance section on its menu telling me, convincingly and interestingly, all about where the bacon, sausages, steaks and fish came from. And, of course, they were all Scottish, and local according to what I read.
But the butter came from the Irish Republic. A bit odd? How many herds of dairy cows does one pass between Fraserburgh and Ireland?
Maybe after Brexit… Ah, I almost got through the proposed Brexit Day without mentioning it.
Pure Irish butter in Wales.
[registration_form]
I thought you would be noticing the excessive packaging, individually wrapped etc. Comes from our wee village in Co. Cavan, Killeshandra , I believe . Ulster cross Border region milk, . Vital jobs for the district as it stands . All may change I know! Killeshandra been making the butter packs for decades. Don’t know of any craft butter products, locally here either
Portion control; food waste reduction.
‘Killeshandra’
Now, where have I heard that name recently?
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/alan-partridge-sings-come-out-ye-black-and-tans-on-bbc-1.3831427
The answer is either a) it’s cheaper than all the others (my preferred answer b) it’s better than all the others or c) it’s easier to get than all the others. Oh, I forgot about the Irish getting rid of it all before there’s a customs border, er, somewhere. We always have Orkney butter because it’s very good, travels few miles and supports a local business. And don’t forget, every time you buy ‘cheap’ food from a supermarket, somewhere a food producer is getting bargained out of existence by the supermarket buyers.
I forgot to say that I hate all those little packets you get in hotels and B&Bs but love Chic Murray’s joke; on seeing one of those tiny, individual pots of honey at his hotel he says to the waitress: “I see you keep a bee.”
The Scottish Government has commissioned research into the matter you yourself raised, and can be found at
https://www.gov.scot/publications/analysis-country-origin-butter-cheddar-sold-scottish-british-retailers/pages/2/
The simple fact is that “Across Scotland, 14% of all butter volume is of Scottish origin, with 51.6% Danish and 21% of UK or GB origin.”
You were actually more likely to find Danish butter than Irish or even Scottish. Strange?
Re bee joke…Billy Connelly says he heard Jimmy Shand say it to a waitress…[in litt]
Credit where its due!
Bit late, but thought I’d better ‘butter’ you up, so a very happy birthday!
Paul and Mel.