Toast may be a breakfast staple for millions, but the super simple dish is a winner at any time of day, whether it’s satisfying late-night munchies or pairing with a simple soup for lunch.
As anyone who has bitten into a slice knows, it tastes best when slathered with lashings of butter, but that task is easier said than done - especially if you keep your butter or margarine in the fridge.
Where should you keep butter?
Breakfast tables everywhere are divided on where to store butter. Some swear by the refrigerated prowess of the fridge or better yet the freezer where it can last for up to a year. But you’ll need to soften it before trying to scrape some over fresh toast.
Others believe the cupboard or kitchen counter is the best place to keep butter because it will stay at room temperature and be easily spreadable - no microwaved mess for you. However, this drastically reduces butter’s shelf life to just two weeks.
A good compromise? Keep your main block of butter in the fridge, where it can stay fresh for up to three months, and dollop out a couple of days’ worth into a countertop butter dish to be consumed within two or three days, replacing once it’s been eaten.
How can you tell when butter has gone off?
Engage your senses! An odd smell is the first giveaway to rancidity, and discolouration or changes to texture are two others. If it tastes sour or bitter, it’s time to chuck it out.
Whether you’ve always kept butter in a dish or you like the idea of presenting it in style for meals or special events like dinner parties, a dedicated butter dish makes a stylish finishing touch.
There are thousands of styles available, from the retro and rustic to sleek compartments designed to evoke joy for the modern butter eater.
We’ve done what we do best and rounded up the best options below to help make finding your new serveware easier than ever.
Shop now
Lou Rota Mother Nature Butter Dish
This sweet little dish inspired by Mother Nature is handmade, giving it a crafted quality that many will adore. The glazed stoneware is covered in pretty decals of insects, birds and plants, giving a sense of summer. Because it’s so delicate, it’s not microwave or dishwasher-safe, so do take care when washing or refilling.
Buy now £12.00, Anthropologie
WM Bartleet & Sons 1750 Traditional Porcelain 19cm Cow Design Butter Plate with Lid
Got the whole farmhouse thing going on indoors? Put the kitsch in kitchen with this butter plate with a lid shaped like a sitting cow. The piece is made from premium glazed porcelain and is deep enough to house a full pack of your favourite butter.
Buy now £25.44, Amazon
Dunelm Artesa Glass Mini Butter Cloche
If you’re the type of host who loves to go the extra mile at a dinner party, your guests will adore finding individual butter cloches by their bread plate. The dinky design is made to hold curls of butter but can also be used to dole out mini cakes or petit fours for afters too.
Buy now £8.00, Dunelm
Augarten Hand-Painted Porcelain Croissant Dish
Guarantee smiles at breakfast, lunch and dinner when placing this cute croissant-themed dish on the table. Designed to hold butter or jam rather than act as a protective case for your pastry (although that’s not a bad idea CC: Dragon’s Den), the handpainted vessel is beautifully crafted in porcelain and promises to be a conversation starter.
Buy now £235.00, ABASK
DOWAN Butter Keeper Crock
Keep butter fresher for longer without ruining it by keeping it in the fridge. How? With this French method. It uses water and a watertight seal to keep butter soft, spreadable and most importantly, fresh. The butter won’t melt or become greasy and looks cute on the counter if you’re into the vintage look.
Buy now £19.99, Amazon
Le Creuset Stoneware Butter Dish
A titan in cook and serveware, French heritage brand Le Creuset counts a butter dish in its collection. The piece, which can hold a full pack of butter, comes with a matching lid to keep your dairy fresh and it can be slung in the microwave on low power to melt just enough to be spreadable.
The stain-resistant enamel is incredibly durable too and can survive dishwashing as well as handwashing. Available in bright and neutral colours.
Buy now £40.00, Amazon
Rick Stein Coves of Cornwall Bone China Butter Dish
Bring fresh Cornish country vibes to your breakfast table thanks to this butter dish from local chef Rick Stein. A blue splash offers a watercolour-like stain across the white bone china, inspired by the beautiful coves of north Cornwall. It is safe to use in the dishwasher, freezer and microwave.
Buy now £28.00, John Lewis
ALESSI Mattina porcelain butter dish
Not everyone is wild for grandma-core kitchen accessories. If you prefer your serveware to have a sleeker aesthetic, Alessi is the brand to know. The Italian design house has this contemporary butter dish to keep the lines in your kitchen clean and frill-free.
Measuring 21cm x 9.5cm the base plate is made from porcelain to keep the butter cool while a rounded stainless steel lid keeps the pat fresh. It is sold with a two-year guarantee and should be hand-washed only.
Buy now £40.00, Selfridges
Ferm Living Oli Butter Dish
A butter dish is only a butter dish if you keep butter in it. Ferm Living’s design can be used as such or in other inventive ways, like keeping your soap from drying out in the bathroom or stacking your favourite jewellery pieces on your dresser. If you’d like to use it for its intended cause, the midcentury modern design promises to add a splash of colour to the breakfast table.
Buy now £45.00, END Clothing
Casa by Josephine Jenno Bobble On Butter Dish - White & Yellow
This delightful dish is the perfect way to serve butter when throwing a fancy dinner party or treating someone special to breakfast in bed. The stoneware design comes with a contrasting yellow bobble trim and is dishwasher-safe, making clean-up a breeze.
Also available in white and green.
Buy now £27.00, Casa by JJ
Mrs. Alice Porcini Mushroom Butter Dish
Changing serveware with the seasons can bring a fresh look to your tables with minimal outlay. Mrs. Alice’s shroomy design is perfect for autumn when the days get crisper and lunch is a steaming bowl of soup partnered with hot buttered toast.
The handpainted look of this butter dish offers a whimsical take on a standard design while still offering the dimensions required to house a whole block of butter.
Buy now £58.00, Mrs. Alice
