Butter pats

Description:

These butter pats would have been used to shape the butter once it had been churned from milk. You couldn’t just use your hands because they were too warm and would make the butter melt. They could also be used to scoop the butter from the churn or press the butter into a mould.

Butter pats were also known as Scotch hand, butter paddles, beaters, clappers and spades.

The inside edges of the butter pats have ridges to grip the butter and allow the buttermilk to drain away. These were also used to make patterns on the finished butter.