September 13, 2024
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Photo courtesy of Butter Emporium

SHAPE UP — Butter Emporium offers many different shapes and flavors of butter, offering hotels, restaurants and caterers simple ways to provide elegant, upscale presentations. The company offers three-dimensional butter designs, such as hand-crafted rosettes, medallions and grooved shapes called “La Spirilla.”

Photo courtesy of Butter Emporium

PERSONAL TOUCH — In addition to various shapes, Butter Emporium can provide custom butter wraps for brands, events or special celebrations such as weddings.

By Rena Archwamety

STAFFORD, Texas — Butter Emporium, a leading provider of specialty butter for chefs, foodservice and special occasions, has made a name for itself by combining elegance and convenience with its handcrafted single-serve butter designs and uniquely customized flavored butter medallions.

At the heart of Butter Emporium’s success is its CEO Gil Shoshan, the visionary founder often referred to as “The King of Butter.” With a career spanning more than three decades, Shoshan’s journey into the butter industry was born out of necessity and fueled by innovation.

• From caterer to King of Butter

The inception of Butter Emporium can be traced back to Shoshan’s earlier career when he owned and managed a very large catering company in California. Catering high-profile events such as weddings, award shows and movie premieres, Shoshan quickly identified a glaring gap in the market: the lack of quality, aesthetically pleasing butter options.

“A good 35 years ago, I was running a catering company in California, and dealing with the butter was one of our least favorite tasks,” recalls Shoshan. “Back then, the only options were butter wrapped in foil, or bulk butter that had to be piped into rosettes by hand. The first few were beautiful, but after that, it was exhausting.”

This frustration led Shoshan to dive headfirst into the butter business in 1998, developing machines and innovative processes to create specialty butters in various shapes and flavors.

As Shoshan perfected his craft, his passion for butter didn’t go unnoticed — especially by his family. During a tour of his butter plant, his youngest son, Jacob, playfully dubbed him “The King of Butter.” The name stuck, encapsulating the pride and dedication that Shoshan brings to his business.

“It was bestowed upon me by my youngest son, Jacob,” Shoshan shares. “He looked at all the machinery and said, ‘Dad, this is a butter kingdom, so that makes you the King of Butter.’ It was a proud moment, and the name perfectly captures what we do here at Butter Emporium.”

• Butter as an experience

Under Shoshan’s leadership, Butter Emporium has grown beyond simply selling butter.

“We don’t just sell butter; we sell an experience,” he says.

This philosophy has driven the company to continuously innovate, pushing the boundaries of what butter can be.

“Ten years ago, we were producing butter in many shapes, from traditional Easter lambs to custom hotel logos. But I wanted to push the boundaries even further,” says Shoshan.

Integral to the creative process at Butter Emporium is Ayala Shoshan, the company’s vice president of culinary development, who also happens to be Gil’s wife. An accomplished artist with a keen eye for aesthetics, Ayala is affectionately known as the company’s “Flavor Guru.”

“She started developing unique flavors beyond the usual garlic and herbs or honey butter,” says Gil Shoshan. “At the last IDDBA show, people were amazed by the flavors we presented.”

One standout creation is Chocolate Halvah, inspired by the Mediterranean tahini-based dessert. According to Shoshan, the sweet, delicate flavor of the halvah mixed butter creates an “amazing combination” when spread on a bagel or melted over french toast. Other unique flavored butters include Chocolate S’mores, combining marshmallow, cinnamon and ginger with butter, and Yuzo Lemon Butter with Ginger, ideal for pairing with cooked vegetables and fish.

“The flavors often come to us unexpectedly,” Ayala Shoshan reveals. “When we cook, we always think outside the box, and sometimes we surprise ourselves. We’re always looking to elevate that umami burst of flavor and introduce new experiences to our customers.”

• A standard of excellence

Gil Shoshan emphasizes that creating high-quality flavored butters is an art that requires expertise.

“Creating a quality flavored butter requires more than just mixing herbs with butter and calling it ‘compound butter,’” he explains. “We don’t use fresh herbs because they oxidize and can create a rancid taste. Instead we use a unique freeze dried process to preserve their flavor and appeal without compromising the butter.”

Butter Emporium’s commitment to quality extends to every ingredient. The butter is sourced from a single dairy in Northern California, tailored to exact specifications. The bulk butter then is reprocessed and packaged at the company’s Texas facilities, reaching the customer within 30 days of production.

Meticulous attention to detail is evident in the rich color and depth of flavor in Butter Emporium’s products. Shoshan also highlights the importance of temperature in enjoying butter’s full flavor.

“When butter is cold, the flavor doesn’t fully develop, but at room temperatures of 74-78 degrees, the fat molecules start to open up, revealing a deeper, richer taste,” he explains.

The company carefully sources its ingredients, such as using Spanish garlic for its smooth aftertaste and Italian white and black truffles for their rich, earthy flavor. It even creates custom flavors, like an espresso butter with Cointreau orange liqueur created for an Italian cafe to serve with its coffee.

“With 34 years of experience in the food industry, we understand what chefs need,” Shoshan says. “All of our packaging is designed to be user-friendly, fitting seamlessly into their operations and their budgets.”

In addition to the flavored butters, Butter Emporium offers a range of specialty butters, from wedding and party portions to chef-grade options with butterfat content ranging from 80% to 84%. A notable achievement is its shelf-stable clarified butter, which won Sysco’s Horizon Award for innovation and is prized for its versatility and stability.

For table butters, Butter Emporium offers products tailored to customer needs, including 0.25-ounce butter balls, in salted and unsalted versions.

“Hotels, restaurants and caterers want to offer something more elegant than a standard butter pat,” says Shoshan. “Our day-to-day business is providing butter that looks like it was made with care, not just taken out of a box.”

Butter Emporium also offers three-dimensional butter designs, such as hand-crafted rosettes, medallions and La Spirilla, a grooved, three-dimensional shape.

“These artisanal designs are popular with steakhouses and casinos,” says Shoshan. “Our butter artists craft each groove by hand, creating a unique product that stands out.”

• A vision for the future

The Shoshans continually are developing new butter flavors and innovations, with upcoming releases including Passion Fruit butter and Seaweed butter for the holiday season.

To help promote their extensive product line, the Shoshans are collaborating with Delaila Ocasio, Butter Emporium’s vice president of business development, to introduce their products to targeted markets.

“We’re fortunate enough to have a 30-year food industry veteran with tremendous experience in sales and marketing,” Gil Shoshan says. “Delaila’s goal is to take everything we create and expose it to the right markets.”

Looking ahead, Butter Emporium is poised for significant growth. The company plans to expand beyond its two Houston facilities, with two additional locations overseas expected to open in the third quarter of 2025 that will allow the company to serve a global market.

“The response from distributors, hotel chains and catering companies has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Shoshan.

“2025 is going to be an amazing year for us,” he adds. “We’re always looking to innovate, expand and perfect our products while increasing our market presence. We’re excited about the future and remain committed to bringing exceptional butter to kitchens around the world.”

CMN