History - Butter Stamp

Butter Stamp

Kitchen

Gimmicky kitchen gadgets aren’t just a 2020’s item, but date back many decades earlier. The early Victorian era ushered in the invention of many kitchen gadgets – one such example is the butter stamp.

Often mistaken for a biscuit cutter or bread mould, the humble butter stamp has a much more important task: turning an ordinary slab of butter into a thing of beauty. A slab of freshly churned butter is shaped with paddles, and pressed into the stamp, which has been dipped in cold water to ensure the butter won’t stick. The wooden handle is then pushed, extracting the butter. The result? A stunning yellow block of butter that dinner guests will admire!

Typically made of wood and featuring simple designs of cows, flowers, or geometric designs, they were well utilised by Victorian cooks in stately homes. Commercial grade stamps were also prevalent, to showcase the name of the manufacturer, and to demonstrate the consistency in the quality of the butter sold.

Whilst the Entally butter moulds aren’t used any longer, they have pride of place on the large tables in the kitchen.