Buttery (bread)

Buttery

Alternative names	Rowie, rollie, Aberdeen roll
Type	Bread roll
Place of origin	Aberdeen, Scotland
Main ingredients	Flour, lard, butter or vegetable oil, yeast
Cookbook: Buttery  Media: Buttery

A buttery, also known as a roll, rowie, rollie, or Aberdeen roll is a savoury Scottish bread roll.

Origin

Legend has it that the buttery was made for the fishermen sailing from Aberdeen's harbour. The theory is that they needed a bread that would not become stale during the two weeks or more that they were at sea. The high fat content meant the bread also provided an immediate energy source.^[1]

Serving

They are noted for flaky texture and buttery taste, similar to a flattened, round croissant, with a salty taste. They are often toasted with jam or butter, or served just with tea, although the high fat content (partly lard) makes them extremely hot when toasted. Commercial producers use vegetable oils instead of butter.^[2][3]

As the alternative name of Aberdeen roll suggests, butteries are a speciality of Aberdeen but they are common throughout the Northeast of Scotland.

Articles in the Aberdeen Journal from early in the 19th century bemoan the increased use of lard in place of butter in traditional "butter rolls".^[4] In 1917 when restrictions were placed on the sale of bread due to World War I, butteries were exempt thus permitting Aberdeen bakers to continue to produce rowies; this was rescinded a few months later but appeals were made on the grounds that butteries were an intrinsic "part of the food of the working classes in industrial centres."^[5] Aberdeen City Food Control Committee continued to challenge the validity of the restriction two years later in February 1919.^[6]

In 2006 a buttery was offered for sale on eBay during a fund raising for the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital; the successful bidder was Enterprise Engineering who paid £620 for it.^[7]

See also

• List of bread rolls
• List of British breads

References