Best butter in NZ: 12 brands taste-tested

We blind taste-tested blocks of butter available in New Zealand supermarkets and crowned the best and the worst of the slightly salty yellow stuff.

Whether it’s slathered on toast with honey, whipped into a batch of cookies or left to melt on hot mashed potatoes, we love our butter.

But which one tastes the best? We bought 11 blocks of butter from supermarkets in Wellington, plus one block from The Warehouse, and blind-tasted them at room temperature with fresh bread. We excluded butter that came in a container, butter that was unsalted or flavoured, and any dairy-free blocks.

Tasters scored the butter on three metrics – taste, appearance and texture. Scores out of five were added to create an overall average score. We also asked tasters if they would buy the butter themselves.

We’ve calculated unit prices based on the prices we paid in store on 6 May 2026.

Note: When we were doing our market research for this taste test, we noticed one familiar brand missing from supermarket shelves, Tararua butter. We contacted the manufacturer, which confirmed the butter hasn’t been sold in major supermarkets since 2023.

Butter, ranked

WORST: Market Kitchen, $1.50/100g, 2.5/5

Not strictly from a supermarket, this block came from the fridges of The Warehouse. It’s the second cheapest per 100g in our taste test, and it sort of tasted like it. At least, according to our tasters. Most picked up on a strange aftertaste, but at least one taster really liked it. Aside from the flavour, the only downside is you’re likely to have to take a detour from your usual shopping trip to nab a block.

Tasters’ comments

“What is that? I don’t like this one. Weird initial flavour, then progresses normal-ish, but kind of hits you in the back of the throat.”

“Weird taste, I can’t describe it. It’s just OK. I wouldn’t buy it.”

“There’s something a wee bit different about this one. It’s not bad, just odd. Looks great though.”

Burtfield’s & Co, $0.80/100g, 2.8/5

The controversial American block. Even though I’ve seen plenty of pictures, I wasn’t expecting the colour to be so pale. So, its colour gives it away instantly, even though premium Lurpak is also a bit pale. Unfortunately, it didn’t taste like Lurpak. Its saving grace? There are two. First, it didn’t come last! Second, the price. It’s unbeaten in our test.

Personally, I say it’s not as terrible as you’d think. Probably not bad in a pinch.

Tasters’ comments

“Spreading it looked like melted fat, whitest block on the line-up. Salty, tastes like butter but very oily.”

“Does not look appealing. Melts very quickly in your mouth. Has a slightly weird taste, a bit chemically. Not sure if it’s because I’m eating with my eyes and it just looks wrong.”

“Pretty good, tastes like normal butter despite being white as snow.”

Lewis Road Creamery, $3.12/100g, 3/5

In the shock upset of the century, New Zealand dairy darling Lewis Road Creamery falls closer to the bottom of the pack than anyone anticipated. It’s the second most expensive per 100g in our taste test, and considering that a handful of tasters said it was remarkably similar to margarine, I would avoid it. This is not to say anything about Lewis Road’s chocolate milk, though. That stuff slaps.

Tasters’ comments

“Wonderfully creamy, perfect melty texture.”

“Tastes like margarine. Do not like.”

“Flavour not so good.”

Anchor, $2.00/100g, 3.3/5

What is there to say about this butter? It’s butter, and our tasters also thought that. From “not a loser,” to “slightly odd flavour,” there were only a few comments that didn’t come across as “middle-of-the-road”. It’s relatively expensive per 100g, so if you’re after stock-standard and inoffensive, you could probably get it cheaper.

Tasters’ comments

“Almost margariney.”

“Plain, grassy.”

“Salty! Not that I hate that but my arteries are screaming no!”

Rolling Meadow, $1.94/100g, 3.4/5

This butter and Alpine (see below) are both manufactured by Dairy Works, which is owned by Synlait. Interestingly, Rolling Meadow is both more expensive and worse-rated than Alpine.

Its flavour? Overall decent, according to one taster, but a bit off according to others.

Tasters’ comments

“Gross, fatty aftertaste.”

“This is butter the way it should be.”

“Quite salty, melty in the mouthy.”

Woolworths, $1.68/100g, 3.5/5

The first of three butters that scored 3.5/5, Woolworths’ own-brand block holds its own against two premium options. Our tasters thought it was mostly inoffensive, with just one saying it had a funny aftertaste. Plus, it’s not too expensive, at $1.68 per 100g.

Tasters’ comments

“Good overall flavour, balanced.”

“Creamy, not too salty. Has a funny taste too, though.”

“Quite mild, but nice.”

Macro, $3.40/100g, 3.5/5

I’d never come across this butter before setting up this taste test. It’s organic and only available at Woolworths in a small, 250g block size. Unless you really care about the organic label, you’re better off buying Woolworths’ own-brand block (see above), which scored the same and is over a dollar cheaper per 100g.

Tasters’ comments

“Smells like a farm, tastes like a barn.”

“Gross tangy taste.”

“Oh, that’s fantastic. Terrible for my heart, I’m sure.”

Lurpak, $3.40/100g, 3.5/5

Yet another 3.5/5, and this time it’s the European premium stuff. This is what I buy when I want “nice butter”, and a few of the tasters even picked that it was expensive. However, a few thought it had a fermenty, cheesy taste, perhaps as if the buttermilk wasn’t completely removed. It’s one of two most expensive butters per 100g, and the block only comes as large as 200g.

Tasters’ comments

“This one’s pretty good. Surprising, considering it looks like fake cream cheese.”

“Tastes expensive.”

“Tastes like cheese or fermented milk. Maybe a good thing, but kind of a surprising taste in context.”

Mainland, $1.96/100g, 3.7/5

Edging away from the previous three butters with a solid score of 3.7/5 is Mainland. Most enjoyed this butter, with one taster going so far as to say it tasted like sunshine. It didn’t strike a happy chord with everyone, however. One taster said it made them question whether they even like butter at all, and another said it was a bit watery. Read on to find better-scoring blocks you can snap up for less.

Tasters’ comments

“Tastes like sunshine.”

“Creamy and delicious.”

“Slightly watery.”

Alpine, $1.70/100g, 4/5

The highlighter-yellow packaging on this block lets you know it’s got something to say. Our tasters really liked this butter, except one, who said it had a bit of an aftertaste. The price isn’t so bad, coming in at $1.70 per 100g. Solid pick.

Tasters’ comments

“Rich depth and a lovely melt in the mouth. Maybe a bit light on the salt but some people will like that.”

“Would put on a scone.”

“Pretty good, thought it would be saltier on initial taste, but it mellowed out.”

Pams, $1.66/100g, 4/5

Pams is another solid pick, and one of the cheapest per 100g in our taste test. It scored the same as Alpine, 4/5, and tasters had similarly positive things to say about it. One taster summed it up perfectly: “No drama.”

Tasters’ comments

“Quite salty, but good.”

“Classic flavour and texture. I can see a happy cow in a pasture eating delicious grass.”

“Good flavour, good colour. No complaints, no drama.”

BEST: Westgold, $2.32/100g, 4.2/5

It’s official. The best butter you can buy at the supermarket is Westgold. Our tasters thought it was complex, delicious and, most importantly, buttery. The only drawbacks are the price and the block size. It’s one of the more expensive blocks per 100g, and it’s only available in a 400g block size, which could put you off from baking with it.

Tasters’ comments

“More complex than others, in a good way.”

“Yes, just yes. Yellowy, buttery goodness.”

“Rich, salty and decadent. Hell yeah.”