This Beloved Butter Is Leaving Grocery Stores For Good

Butter is easily something that you don’t have to think much about. For general cooking purposes, all real butter kind of ends up tasting the same when it’s part of a greater dish. But when it comes to a big smear of butter on a simple piece of toast, or used in baked goods, the difference can be huge. The thing is, whatever butter you’re getting has probably been your staple for quite some time now.

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For those of us who have known and loved the Vital Farms butter varieties, I have some sad news: after ten years, Vital Farms will discontinue the production and sale of all its butters. For something as simple as butter, it’s still a strange day. Because for a lot of people, butter is a part of daily routines.

A piece of buttered toast in the morning or a quick fry-up on the weekends isn’t complete without butter and the simple familiarity of opening the same package of butter and recognizing its familiar taste is something we might not be mindful of in the moment. It’s not until you have to change that routine until you notice how fond you were of those habits.

What Happened?

Vital Farms’ butters are known for being extremely rich in flavor, with a very creamy texture. Even I, myself, choose Vital Farms when I’m looking to splurge on some butter that you’re really going to taste. The best part is that its super widely available, too. Almost all grocery stores carry them, making it a super easy gateway into a more ethical and luxurious butter.

But, just this week, Vital Farms announced through an Instagram post that they will no longer be producing butter. Its ongoing availability isn’t guaranteed through the end of the year and will vary depending on the retailer. The company said that their unfortunate decision to halt their butter production came down to not have a clear path to financial sustainability for that portion of their company. Rather than sacrificing the high-quality standards that Vital Farms holds themselves to, the best option for them is to regretfully discontinue their involvement in the butter market.

What Next?

For Vital Farms, they’re going to keep on keepin’ on in all other departments. Its eggs will still be available, offering that some promise in quality. But, some of us might still be left without a go-to butter come the end of the year. And for you, dear reader, I must insist you browse over Sporked’s ultimate guide to butter where we let you know what’s the best butter for every scenario. From French-origin to garlic and herb, this guide has everything you need to know to sift through the different packs at the grocery store in the aftermath of the loss of Vital Farms’ range.