If you have only ever subsisted on peanut butter (or even the more unconventional, store-bought nut butters) you haven’t lived. That is a strong statement, but it is also true – which is exactly what you’ll realise the second you try literally any of the new ButtaNutt Tree Nut Spreads range.
Doing for spreads what edamame did for beans, ButtaNutt is elevating the traditional nut spreads to something… transcendent. In today’s world that means healthy, as well as hearty, so ButtaNutt products are all made without sugar, preservatives or stabilisers. Know it or not, these are pretty standard additives in other spreads, along with additional oils and flavourants. ButtaNutt products are also high in Omega 3, low in Omega 6 (if you are Banting, this should be music to your stomach) and very high in protein.
But, now that your health-conscience is clear, let us focus on the product itself, shall we? Roasted macadamia; honey almond; macadamia, coconut and rooibos; pecan macadamia – these are just some of the scrumptiousness that could be coming to a piece of hot toast near you.
The company was ushered into existence when the parents of Stellenbosch University engineering student and founder, Antoine van Heerden, bought themselves a macadamia farm during his final year of studies. With the help of his ICA-chef sister he initially produced four different flavours, which were sold to fellow students, and then at the Stellenbosch Farmers Market. People loved them! The business at that time was run from a garage, before Antoine and his partner moved to a small office within a factory in Plankenberg. That is when they realised that, while the product was outstanding, much of their future would be decided by their environment, and that’s when they approached Brandon, Officer Opportunity at the LaunchLab (who is still their mentor to this day).
Three interviews later and the team had a new space from which to operate. The LaunchLab put together all the right ingredients for success, such as a fitness assessment to identify where Buttanutt needed the most assistance and psychometric testing to help them best organise their team. It is also a safe place from which to launch and test new products, while being big enough to get meaningful, real-world feedback. The LaunchLab also introduced ButtaNutt to the contact they needed to secure venture capital funding.
Since then, they have increased their product range to include seven tree nut spreads (and they are about to add a few more!), and the spreads are stocked in a health stores across the Cape. ButtaNutt also developed the convenient ‘squeezer’ packaging, which makes this healthy single-serving perfect for sport or school.
Be excited for Antoine and the team at ButtaNutt,but be excited for yourselves, too. Shortly the ButtaNutt range – bottles and squeezers – will be available in over 200 major retailer shores.
It is amazing what a simple idea can become if grown in the right environment, and nurtured correctly. ButtaNutt is another testament to a like-minded community doing great things to the benefit of all around.
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