The real test of any “plant-based fat”
Plenty of products call themselves vegan butter. The promise sounds good until you try to laminate. A shift to a dairy-free butter alternative easily turns into lots of extra labour and lost margin.
Three years ago we stood in the same kitchen dilemma. We wanted a fat that would laminate, rise, and finish exactly like traditional butter, yet remove the dairy cost and the allergens. End of 2021, we launched Be Better My Friend: a next-generation butter: pure, inclusive, guilt-free. Built for chefs, by chefs. An easy 1:1 alternative to traditional butter with no compromise on taste, quality, workability and price.
If you are looking for the best replacement for dairy butter that behaves the same, read on. Below we outline why this vegan alternative to butter fits well in today’s pastry kitchens and tomorrow’s customer
What “clean label” really means in a pastry kitchen
For us this is crucial. We don’t want to ‘pollute’ the creations made by chefs with a product full of additives. We want to keep food pure with minimal and with low-processed ingredients. At the same time, the product must work functionally and be of consistent quality. It was not an easy task to find the right balance between these opposite forces. What this all means for you:
– Short ingredient list
– Zero palm oil, lactose, gluten, soy, or nuts
– No artificial colours and flavours
– Minimal use of additives, just enough to ensure a good emulsion and a consistent quality during a full year.
Why bother? Because the conversation is no longer vegan butter vs dairy butter only. Chefs and consumers want to know where the fat comes from, what the Co₂ profile is, and whether their allergic child can eat the product.
Five reasons pastry chefs choose Be Better
1. Works like butter, 1 : 1
As long as you keep the egg, 100 gr of butter is 100 gr of Be Better. Same quality, same recipe, same process. You keep the control, only the dairy is gone.
2. Bench-tested under service pressure
We are in market over 3 years and are blessed with many loyal users working with Be Better. Whether it is cookies, cakes, creams, croissants, brownies, brioches, you name it. It works.
3. One pastry for all.
Imagine how you would simplify your production if you produce one pastry that everybody can enjoy, regardless of ideology, dietary or ethical reasons. Be Better is allergen-safe, cholesterol-free, low in saturated fats and free from animals.
4. Cost control
Butter prices and supply are volatile and uncertain. That puts a lot of pressure on your day-to-day business. Be Better ensures a stable price below butter and a certainty of quality and supply.
5. Trusted in the field
Be Better plant-butter is not a hype. Pastry kitchens from Amsterdam, Paris, and London have worked with it for years now. Developed with pastry chefs, refined with food scientists, and proven on the bench.
How to start with Be Better plant-butter?
Fast start (keep the egg)
Use Be Better as a straight swap in croissants, puff, cookies, and tart dough. No formula change; just enjoy the cost saving, allergen-free benefit and the feeling you do good to planet and animals.
Full plant route
If you need 100 % plant-pastry, you will need an alternative to the egg. This will change your recipe and process. But don’t worry, we have plenty of tips, tricks and recipes to help you here. Embrace the challenge and grow your skills while making future-ready pastry.
Either way, the pastry line simplifies: one dough that serves dairy lovers, lactose-intolerant guests, and plant-first customers alike.
Why “next-generation butter” matters now
Because the regulation tightens: EUDR on palm sourcing, Net Zero 2050, Scope-3 carbon in supply contracts. Consumers read labels, generation Z is more outspoken on more planet-friendly food.. A block that is already palm-free and low-CO₂ removes future reformulation work. It allows you to lead the market, rather then have the market lead you.
Ready to test?
Start with one carton. Replace the dairy butter into a pastry of your choice. Compare, test it blindly with you staff and consumers. If the result matches or beats the dairy control, keep going. If not, tell us and we can help you make it work.
Be Better My Friend is more than vegan butter dairy-free; it is the next generation of butter: pure, inclusive, guilt-free, and engineered for professional pastry.
No cows, no compromise—just pastry that works.
Mail hello@bebettermyfriend.com for samples or specifications.
