Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter

Irish butter is an old tradition, stretching back at least 3,000 years. It differs from typical American butter in that it 1) has a higher butterfat content, 2) has less water content, and 3) is crafted from the milk of grass-fed cows in Ireland. The end product is a butter that has not only a rich, unique flavor but is easier to spread than a typical American butter stick.

Irish butter has something of a cult-like following, thanks in large part to Kerrygold, an Irish butter brand created by Irish agricultural food cooperative Ornua in the 1960s. Kerrygold is sold in many parts of the world, including Europe, and it was first introduced into the United States in 1991. Today, Kerrygold is the second-best-selling branded butter in the U.S. behind Land O’Lakes.

For a time Aldi carried Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter as a Regular Buy, but beginning in 2018 Aldi began to gradually phase Kerrygold out of stores. In its place: Aldi’s own house brand Irish butter.

Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter 1

Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter is a Regular Buy, meaning you can find it in stores all the time. It comes in an 8-ounce wrapper, which makes it about the same size as two American sticks of butter. The wrapper declares that the butter is a product of Ireland, although it does not specify who manufactures the butter beyond that. Also of note: there are no markings for measurements like you often see on American butter, so you’ll have to figure that out yourself. (I found that pulling out a stick of American butter and placing it next to the Irish butter was an easy way to help me cut proper amounts.)

At the time of this post, Aldi’s Irish butter costs $2.49 for an 8-ounce package, or about 31 cents an ounce. Aldi previously sold the same-sized Kerrygold for $2.85 (36 cents an ounce) — roughly the same price Walmart currently sells it for — so the Aldi Irish butter is a bit cheaper than Kerrygold. Keep in mind, though, that Irish butter in general is more expensive than American butter: Countryside Creamery Sweet Cream Butter, for example, is less than 20 cents an ounce.

Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter 3

Aldi Irish butter on the shelf. (Click to enlarge.)

Irish butter is advertised as softer than American butter, and on that front the Countryside Creamery Irish butter doesn’t disappoint. It’s pretty easy to cut and use, and it spreads easier than stick butter, too, especially if you give it a couple of minutes to sit out of the refrigerator.

Aldi’s take on Irish butter tastes pretty good. It’s got a rich flavor that reminds us a lot of Kerrygold, and we’ve found it to be excellent for just about every use you’d use butter for, from cooking to toast. (I like adding it to macaroni and cheese.)

In terms of nutrition information, Aldi Irish butter is very similar to Kerrygold. Both have 100 calories per serving, 11 grams of fat, and 30 mg of cholesterol. Aldi Irish butter has 85 mg of sodium, which is actually less than the 100 mg in Kerrygold, although we didn’t personally detect much of a taste difference in terms of saltiness.

Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter 2

Nutrition information. (Click to enlarge.)

The Verdict:

Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter appears to be a solid option for people who want Irish butter but are looking to get it for a little less than Kerrygold prices. Aldi Irish butter spreads and tastes a lot like Kerrygold, and it even has a slightly lower sodium content. That said, Irish butter is more expensive than American butter — even Irish butter sold by Aldi — so whether you want to spend the extra money is a matter of preference. If Irish butter is your thing, Countryside Creamery’s version is worth a look.

About Joshua

Joshua is the Co-founder of Aldi Reviewer. He is also a writer and novelist. You can learn more about him at joshuaajohnston.com.

21 Comments

  1. I bought Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter from my Aldi store 3 weeks ago because I got hooked on making the Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pao de Queijo) almost every weekend and could not find Kerry Gold’s at Aldi’s, but I did see this, and since the real reason I started buying KG buttter was because it was grass fed, I bought this too to try out because it is also grass fed. It was a great buy and almost, if not the same price as KG over at Walmart. I didn’t notice any difference, but I was only able to find the salted kind. I wish they had the unsalted, but like I said, I didn’t even notice the difference in taste.

  2. Do we know what percent of the time the Aldi cows are eating grass, and if they are eating silage or grain when they aren’t eating grass?

    • No, and I don’t know of any way to find out.

    • I would love to know the answer as well. Did you ever find out??

      • Jill this was my reply to this thread in October of 2019

        Yes , yesterday morning . the reply below doesn’t include the disclaimer and other legal chmiel, but it’s pretty much inline with the response I got from Kerrygold , with the exception that kerrygold said their herd eats grain approximately 5% of the time ( this answer doesn’t address that part of the question ) grass 85% of the time and silage( stored grass and supplements) 10% of the time , but I’m guessing anything you get from Ireland it’s going to be the same across the board . Which is fine with me . Their dairy system seems to be far superior than ours here in the US as far as nutrient-dense products .

        This product is produced and imported from Ireland using 100% fresh Irish cream. The Irish dairy system is based on a pasture basis were cows can graze on average between 280-290 days of the year. The liquid milk supplied to us is produced by dairy cows that graze on pastureland. Our dairy producers generally operate seasonal grass based systems with the objective being to maximize grazed grass in the animal’s diet. Thus, grass (grazed and ensiled) is the basal diet on Irish farms and typically accounts for greater than 90% of the cows total feed on a fresh feed basis.

  3. I would buy the heck out of it if they sold it in unsalted.

  4. I eat Kerrygold butter now , just trying to get some info on the Aldi Herd. I emailed the company yesterday and will share their answer with you.

  5. Yes , yesterday morning . the reply below doesn’t include the disclaimer and other legal chmiel, but it’s pretty much inline with the response I got from Kerrygold , with the exception that kerrygold said their herd eats grain approximately 5% of the time ( this answer doesn’t address that part of the question ) grass 85% of the time and silage( stored grass and supplements) 10% of the time , but I’m guessing anything you get from Ireland it’s going to be the same across the board . Which is fine with me . Their dairy system seems to be far superior than ours here in the US as far as nutrient-dense products .

    This product is produced and imported from Ireland using 100% fresh Irish cream. The Irish dairy system is based on a pasture basis were cows can graze on average between 280-290 days of the year. The liquid milk supplied to us is produced by dairy cows that graze on pastureland. Our dairy producers generally operate seasonal grass based systems with the objective being to maximize grazed grass in the animal’s diet. Thus, grass (grazed and ensiled) is the basal diet on Irish farms and typically accounts for greater than 90% of the cows total feed on a fresh feed basis.

  6. Thank you, Ron, I was wondering the same thing about the Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter. I sure appreciate your help.

  7. Your welcome folks, I love spreading good health to like minded people

  8. For the past 2 weeks I haven’t not seen this butter at either of the 2 Aldi’s I shop at. I hope it isn’t being discontinued. Anyone still have it at your location?

  9. For those interested in more information. I emailed KerryGold in August 2018 and got this additional info:

    Hi Vince,

    Thanks for your message. In Ireland, the majority of dairy cows are Holstein Friesian cows. Currently the Irish dairy herd consist of a mix of both A1 & A2 milk.

    Cheers,

    Kyle @ Kerrygold USA

  10. It’s awesome I’m still getting updates on this subject since 09/19.

  11. I bought this from my local Aldi last week to dabble in the bulletproof coffee trend. I was absolutely shocked how delicious a little bit of grass fed butter and coconut oil could be whipped into coffee. I’m far from the two tablespoons apiece you’ll find in the recipes but I’m also not doing a Keto diet, I just love good coffee and a little good fat in the morning isn’t going to hurt you as much as a bowl of sugar.

  12. Thanks for all information on butter.

  13. Is there PFAS in the wrapper

  14. Does Aldi country creamery butter have rbst growth hormone in it? Does it have ractopamine in feed, which is banned in 160 countries.
    Does the Irish butter have anything in it?

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