$18.29 for a tub of butter: has butter peaked?

Tuesday, 1 July 2025

An Auckland supermarket was reportedly snapped selling butter for $18.29 over the weekend.

Consumer NZ posted a photo it said was taken by one of its members of a tub of Mainlands Semi-Soft butter and asked the public to share their most outrageous butter prices.

One person wrote “I’m going to just buy a milking cow”, another said “We make the butter here (WHY IS IT SO EXPENSIVE) it’s a bloody RIPOFF”.

“My neighbour who is 90 on a pension buys 2 at a time. $15.50 From napier pac n save. He said what the hell , gotta have toast on your butter,” one wrote.

The price of butter has become an issue in New Zealand, with the average price of a 500g block rising 185.7% in the past decade.

Recent figures from Stats NZ show that climbing costs are hitting Kiwis in the wallet. Prices have leapt by 65% in a year, or $3 more for a 500g pack of butter.

The price of butter has become so intense a Canterbury school turned to selling blocks of it, instead of cookies or chocolate for their fundraisers.

There was also a frenzy at Auckland’s Costco in May when butter was being sold at $9.99 a kilo.

In fact when the prices were at $11 for butter in May, Stuff wrote an article on how to make your own.

Infometrics economist Gareth Kiernan told Stuff for consumers to see any relief at the supermarket international dairy prices might need to drop as much as 15%.