Better Butter Basics

You may have noticed that I like cheering for people who take risks and pursue their dreams. Life is short and we need to reach for things that make us happy. That’s what I love about this darling young lady I met while strolling through the Piggly Wiggly in Fairhope. Meredith Simmerman was being her bubbly, smiling, monogramed self (can you see why we bonded? monograms! ) and giving out samples of her new product, Reney’s Honey Butter.

Working as a counselor during the day, Meredith (nicknamed Reney by her sister), always had a creative side, and one Easter, decided to use freshly picked blackberries to create a new type of spread. Her creativity was put to the test as she came up with just the right combination of fruitiness and creaminess. Everyone loved the butter and encouraged Meredith to sell it, but when she invited people to her house for an official tasting . . . no one showed up! Butter-bummer, baby! But when all looked lost, in stepped Meredith’s sister who posted a photo and description of the butter on the internet, and things started going WILD! (lesson – keep going! Don’t give up! — and call your sister!)

Selling out in no time at all, and with many customers placing orders for future batches, Meredith knew she was on to something.

“My background is not in business, so I have had a steep learning curve! There have been many challenges and one of the biggest ones was when I was attempting to get a license from the Health Department as there is really only 1 commissary kitchen in Mobile and I had to create my product in a commercial kitchen in order to sell to the general public.”

But with perseverance and creative determination, Meredith pressed forward, found an approved squeeky-clean kitchen, and developed even more unique flavors of butter.

Now, tell me if this isn’t the sweetest attitude? Meredith said . . .

“My heart is to connect other people! To love people even through butter! To empower people to connect with others as they eat it around the dinner table or give it as gifts! I want the butter to be a tool. An avenue for belonging and community! I pray over each jar of butter and each batch for God to use it!”

Changing with each season and according to what fresh ingredients are available you can find several different flavors of Reney’s Honey Butter in Piggly Wiggly (Fairhope for now, but perhaps others soon?) as well as the Old Shell Market in Mobile. You can also find Meredith with her butter at the Market at the Pillars on the 2nd Sunday of every month. Growth is on the horizon as people learn about this new treat.

What I love about this butter is how simple it is. I bought the Apple Pie Honey Butter and when someone in my house was very sad and wouldn’t eat, I made him Apple Pie butter toast, and he gobbled it up. I guess praying over the butter worked! It was the most basic of foods — just bread and butter, but it was comfort food at its best. When food makes you feel loved, you know its good for you.

I don’t allow margarine in my house, and don’t usually sit around eating butter by the spoonful, but a little pat of butter on your toast, muffin, croissant or crumpet is the perfect indulgence and pampering we so often need to make our hum-drum lives bearable. Look for Reney’s Honey Butters in a store near you if you are in the area (or be really nice and ask the store to order them for you). If you don’t live in our area and want to indulge, you can order on-line HERE.

Now . . . don’t leave Meredith out there alone. What dream are you chasing?