Butter Lamb HQ
and other Easter Delights
A couple of years ago I was researching butter molds, looking to make a butter-shaped bunny or lamb for an Easter lunch to accompany hot cross buns (if you’re in Toronto, Robinson Bread’s are the best). I ended up coming across an image of a case full of butter lambs, abandoned any idea of making my own and instead drove to Buffalo, NY.
BUTTER LAMB HQ
Malczewski Butter Lamb (what I like to call Butter Lamb HQ) is located in the bustling Broadway Market in Buffalo, NY. The market is filled with Easter-related delights including chocolate in just about any shape you can imagine (from ballet flats to chickens), rows of yellow Peeps and stalls studded with potted purple and pink hyacinths. And, of course, the butter lambs.
These butter lambs originated in 1963, when Dorothy Malczewski opened a poultry stand in the Broadway Market. That year she found her father’s wooden lamb mold from Poland in the attic and started making butter lambs one by one. The butter lambs went over so well that she began distributing them to other local stores and chain supermarkets and the spring tradition has only continued to grow, beloved by people of all denominations.
Pictured below is a newspaper interview with Dorothy from April 15, 2016. I love that she got into the lamb-making business in order to make prettier butter lambs than the ones that were currently on offer - although she won’t give up her secret on how she makes the fleece curls!
The first time I went I made the mistake of visiting the Saturday of Easter weekend and was met (much to my dismay!) with a sold-out case, proving their immense popularity. Luckily a single packaged butter lamb was retrieved from the back store room - this did the trick to accompany the hot cross buns. (I highly recommend showing up to a gathering with a butter lamb in tow.)
Last year, my husband and I went the Saturday before Easter weekend and were greeted with a case full of beautiful butter lambs of all sizes. I sent out this post a little early in case anyone reading wants to pay the butter lambs a visit. There really is something fun and exciting about seeing the rows of lambs with their fleece curls and peppercorn eyes, adorned with red and lavender bows (which Dorothy added because she loves the colour). The lambs come in two poses - straight face or head turn.
