Our pilgrimage to Saint-Malo, France for the world’s best butter.

Saint-Malo is a charming walled town on the Emerald coast in Brittany, a region known for its wild coastline and quaint towns.

For us, the main lure to Brittany was butter. Buttery, caramelized kouign amann, buckwheat galettes topped with butter, and more specifically, Beurre Bordier butter.

Beurre Bordier, based in Saint-Malo, has been churning butter since 1927. Their philosophy is that the raw ingredients must be the very best in order to produce the best butter, so all of their milk is grass fed and comes from dairies within 100 km of their workshop. 

The process involves a 19th century kneading method that combines both human skill and machines. A wooden roller is used to flatten and knead the butter, while a person folds, seasons, and relies on their expertise to know when the butter has reached the perfect texture and consistency. It takes about a year for workers to fully learn how to incorporate the butter evenly and achieve the smooth texture they are known for. 

Business Insider produced an excellent documentary on Beurre Bordier that you can watch on YouTube if you want to see the entire process.

The shop in Saint-Malo is the location of the original creamery, and they often have flavors that are hard to find elsewhere. We love the Roscoff onion, Madagascar vanilla, and demi-sel (half-salted) flavors, but they also have more unique flavors like seaweed and yuzu you can try! 

Of course, there are other reasons to visit Saint-Malo. Eating kouign amann and savory galettes is reason enough. The town itself is quite enchanting. Walk along the ramparts and watch the dramatic tides move in and out throughout the day.

Have you tried Beurre Bordier?