Yes, the expensive butter in The Bear season 3 is real (Here's where to get it!)

The Bear season 3 episode 3, “Doors,” is chaotic and soundtracked by a beautiful instrumental score that picks up the pace or slows down depending on when the restaurant is open, closed, or in the middle of a calm before the storm. During one of these quiet moments, Cicero and Carmy have a scene that may leave some viewers scratching their heads. Not because it’s particularly confusing but because Carmy has apparently bought expensive butter to the tune of $11,268 dollars.

Now, you may have been saying to yourself, there is no way that there is butter that expensive and clearly the show is leaning into absurdism to show how out of control Carmy has gotten with this changing menu and the ingredients he uses. But I am here to tell you that there is, in fact, butter from Vermont that will cost you a pretty penny to buy. While it’s not by the non-existent Old Major Butter Farms off 245 Foundry Rd in Orwell, VT. The product the show is likely paying tribute to is Animal Farm Cultured Butter made currently by Hilary and Ben Haigh of Shoreham, VT at Rolling Bale Farm.

The couple took over for Diane St. Clair in 2022 who, according to Animal Farm Creamery’s about page, established the business in 2000 in Orwell, VT. Their butter is available to purchase through Saxelby Cheesemongers though they’re currently out of stock (as of June 27, 2024). However, it’ll run you $60 per pound. That’s the equivalent of 4 balls at 4 oz. each per package. And, just like The Bear’s version, there is also an unsalted option.

The Haigh’s didn’t diverge from St. Clair’s method of producing the butter that has curried favor for years and saw her product being bought and sold in famous restaurants like The French Laundry, The Inn at Little Washington, and Per Se. As Saxelby's notes, Hilary Haigh skims the Jersey cream herself, cultures the cream for 24 hours with buttermilk as a starter and then churns and kneads it by hand as well. The result is a handmade butter that’s renowned for its taste and, as Carmy says, it’s considered to be “the best.”

Sampling the Animal Farm butter, however, isn’t likely to transport you to the Orwellian-like dystopian Carmy has thrown everyone into with his non-negotiables and ridiculously difficult to keep up with menu changes. If you’re looking for that kind of experience, you’ll have to look elsewhere but, if you buy the $60 butter, at least you’ll have something tasty to have along with whatever you’re eating while rewatching The Bear.