How is Westgold butter made?

"Our time-honoured traditional churning is what makes Westgold butter taste so special."

In New Zealand there are 2 main processes used to produce butter, Fritz and Ammix. Here at Westgold we use the Fritz Churn method – a traditional cream churning process similar to the hand-operated barrel churns dating back hundreds of years- and is predominately used in Western Europe these days. So what is the Fritz churn method?

Firstly, the milk is concentrated into cream. Then the cream is cooled to allow the milkfat to crystallise to provide firmness for optimal butter making. The cream is then churned, separating the raw butter (solid) and the buttermilk (liquid) which is drained off until a stable emulsion is left. This is a second concentration step to raise the fat content of the butter. The butter is then kneaded/worked to remove excess water and make the butter pliable. For Salted butter, the salt is added in a slurry with water which is why you will see water listed on salted butter packaging. The machines used for the Fritz method produce butter as close as possible to the traditional hand churned methods resulting in a denser butter.

Our time-honoured traditional churning is what makes Westgold butter taste so special. Dating back to 1893 when cream was delivered by horse and cart, Westland’s first butter plant opened on the West Coast. More than 120 years later, Westgold’s commitment to tradition.