Three award-winning salted butters could make your next grocery run a little more interesting — without costing more than $5 a pound.
As Food & Wine reports, Keller’s Creamery, Winn-Dixie’s Know & Love, and High Desert Milk earned top honors at the 2026 World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Products Contest in Madison, Wisconsin. Sponsored annually by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association, the competition evaluates dairy products made across North America, from ice cream and yogurt to cheese and butter. Products are judged on flavor, texture, and aroma.
“World Dairy Expo is the real deal because you’re competing against over 1,200 entries from more than 150 dairy companies across the country,” says Derik Robinson, CEO of High Desert Milk. “Taking home top spots in a field that big proves our quality stands up against anyone in the business.” Butter judge (yes, that’s a thing) Timon Zander says that great butter is immediately recognizable. “It’s right there in front of you. It’s the first thing you taste.”
These three winners earned their place as the cream of the crop — and at less than $5 a pound, they offer an affordable way to bring that quality home. Here’s what to know about the three salted butter winners, including where to find them.
Keller’s Creamery Salted Butter
Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a national farmer-owned cooperative, earned recognition for its Keller’s Creamery Salted Butter, made with 80% butterfat in Winnsboro, Texas. “Families have been relying on Keller’s rich taste and creamy flavor since 1906,” says Jenny Mehlman, senior director of marketing, cheese, taste, and flavors at DFA, who adds that a key to the product’s success is its simple ingredients. “We’re honored to see taste, quality, and tradition recognized by the World Dairy Expo.”
Keller’s butter was first produced in the Philadelphia area and remains available throughout the region for $4.54 a pound. Retailers include ShopRite, The GIANT Company, ACME, Redner’s, Boyer’s, Weis, and Karns, as well as Safeway stores in the Maryland area. DFA also earned recognition for provolone and swept the Open Class Butter category with entries including Breakstone’s whipped butter, 82% unsalted European butter, and salted 82% butterfat butter.
Know & Love Salted Butter
Winn-Dixie’s Know & Love Salted Butter also earned top honors, with a recipe that keeps things simple. “Made with just cream and salt, it delivers a fresh, sweet cream flavor; smooth texture; and consistent performance for everyday cooking and baking,” says Brooke Rice, chief merchandising officer for The Winn-Dixie Company.
For Rice, the World Dairy Expo Championship is one of the most respected dairy competitions in the industry “because products are evaluated solely on their merits,” rather than on brand recognition, marketing, or packaging. “That makes the competition an incredibly valuable benchmark for quality and provides independent validation of the standards we expect across our private label program.”
Know & Love Salted Butter contains at least 80% milk fat and retails for $4.99 a pound at Winn-Dixie stores. The company also earned recognition for its Know & Love plain cream cheese, strawberry cream cheese spread, and goat cheese crumbles.
High Desert Milk Salted Sweet Cream Butter
Based in Burley, Idaho, High Desert Milk is a cooperative of six third-generation dairy farmers. Its award-winning Salted Sweet Cream Butter is certified kosher and halal, and the company works exclusively with rBST-free milk.
“Because our dairies are all within a 45-mile radius of the plant, we control the entire process from field to fork,” says Robinson. “That milk gets to us immediately, which is why the butter tastes so fresh and holds onto its natural nutrients. Our butter is always fresh and never frozen. When you open a box, you’re getting the freshest butter out there.”
The butter sells for roughly $3.60 a pound at select southern Idaho retailers, including Lee’s Grocers, most Ridley’s locations, and some Walmart stores. High Desert Milk also sells it by the case for $64.95. The cooperative earned additional recognition for cream cheese, low-heat nonfat dry milk, buttermilk powder, and milk protein concentrate.
—
Photo Credit: HannaTor / Shutterstock.com
