Improper Butter co-founders Hannah O'Reilly and Elaine Lavery are definitely ones to watch. 2015 has been a superb one for them having been shortlisted for Richard Branson's Foodpreneur competition and they were also named as one of Ireland's Seven Young Entrepreneurs to watch out for. So who are they and what exactly do they do? Elaine spoke to RTÉ Food...
What is your food product?
Improper Butter is a range of garlic and herb cooking butters that add a pop of flavour to all your favourite dishes. Ireland is renowned for its golden, grass-fed, hormone free butter and this is the basis of our butter. It contains many essential fats required for healthy brain development and function.
For Christmas, we have launched three Limited Edition festive butters - Sage, Rosemary & Thyme for turkey basting, Boozy Brandy for puddings and for mince pies plus Cinnamon and Honey for festive brunches and teatimes.
How is it made?
We blend butter made from creamy Irish milk with an array of fresh ingredients from garlic, chilli and basil to freshly ground cinnamon, honey, orange and lemon zest. The butter is then reformed and hand-wrapped in gold-foil before being sealed in our signature branded box, for freshness.
When and how did you first come up with the idea for the product?
We met in UCD where we were studying Commerce (Hannah) and Buisness & Law (Elaine). Our friendship grew over a love of food and fine dining. Upon graduation in 2012 Elaine took herself to France and worked for six months during ski season as a chalet chef. There she would prepare herb butters for quick, easy and delicious dinners that her guests loved. Upon her return home she approached Hannah about the marketing and branding of a retail range of her butters and so Improper Butter was born.
Who buys your products?
Our typical customer is a food-lover. They seek out great quality and often cook from scratch. However, they are often busy working parents or young professions who are time poor and therefore need elements of convenience in their cooking. Improper Butter is that convenient element. Just add a slice of your favourite flavour to whatever you're cooking to transform it into something delicious.
Where do you source your ingredients?
More than 80% of our product is Irish butter. Some of the other ingredients are sourced outside of Ireland as we cannot grow them in great quantities in our mild climate - for example lemon zest, cinnamon etc.
Does your product carry the guaranteed Irish label?
At the moment we do not carry the Guaranteed Irish label, however we do carry our own stamp guaranteeing that our product is 'Properly Irish'.
Is your product packaged in Ireland and is it recycled/recyclable?
Yes our product is made and packaged in Ireland. Our packaging is sourced in Ireland also and the outer box is recyclable.
Other than your own, what’s your favourite product?
This is a very difficult question for a pair of food lovers! We are all about buying Irish and look up to companies some years ahead of us such as Glenisk Yoghurt, Glenilen Farm and Cashel Blue who have great brands, great products, and a great story behind them.
What is your view on ‘organic’ produce?
We believe in eating sustainable and nutrient rich foods that are traceable. If organic ticks these boxes and is affordable, then go for it. However, if a bag of potatoes for instance has to be flown from half-way around the world to be organic, then we'd go for the Irish, non-organic variety every time.
Many food producers are very passionate about their products – have you a message you would like to share with your customers?
Yes, we have a really important page on our website explaining 'why butter'. Consumers were misinformed about saturated fats in past decades due to studies that were not evidently robust. We are passionate about educating consumers about the benefits of eating natural fats.
Is there salt and/or sugar in your products? If so, how much and why?
There is less than 1.5% of salt in our products. This is essential for the shelf-life viability of our product. An average 10g portion contains a less than 3.5% of your RDA for salt. There is no refined sugar added to our products.
What is the shelf-life of your product and how come?
The shelf life is currently 4-6 weeks because we use fresh garlic and herbs in our products - this makes the shelf-life a lot shorter than other varieties of garlic and herb butters which contain dried ingredients and preservatives.
What would your death row meal be (aside from your own products!)?
We are based in Dublin and we both love to eat out. Dublin has so many great new restaurants popping up every couple of weeks. Most recently a brunch in Angelina's punched highly. But I think for a death row meal we would both choose The Greenhouse on Dawson Street.
Where can people buy your food and find out more about it?
Improper Butter is available in Supervalu nationwide, as well as in select Tescos and independent stores. For stockists details see our website (click here) or contact us through Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
