Bregott- one of the most loved food products in Sweden, a Swedishness bestseller and the best friend of the sandwich. There's nothing quite like it. Let's take a closer look at how the Bregott as we know it today came to be. 

Back in the day it was pure butter on the sandwich that was the norm but then, in the middle of the 1800's, along came the margarine, a butter-like shortening based entirely on vegetable oils. Margarine was actually created when Napoleon III wanted his soldiers to get cheap butter. He announced a competition for inventors to come up with something cheaper and this is how we got the first variant of margarine.

Fast forward to 1969- the year of revolution for sandwich eaters. In Sweden, the so-called butter mountain was constantly growing and there was also criticism of the butter from a health point of view. It was time for something completely new on the sandwich. The Swedish Dairy Association (SMR) therefore developed a new shortening where cream and vegetable oil were mixed together to make it soft and spreadable. However, because of the addition of rapeseed oil it was not possible to call the product butter. SMR then turned to the government to request an exemption from certain regulations which they succeeded with and Bregott- the butter was launched. Bregott was a one of a kind unique product in the world at the time and revolutionised the shortening market because it was spreadable directly from the fridge, but it was still....butter.

The success was great, despite the fact that the price for Bregott was higher than for the traditional spreadable table margarines. At the same time, pure butter sales decreased as a direct result of Bregott's entry into the market.

Bregott was allowed to be called butter all the way until 2016 when new regulations said a product needed to contain at least 80% butter to be called butter. Since Bregott contains up to 75% butter it no longer could be promoted as butter and is now called "shortening mixture" instead. Ask a Swede which is the most delicious butter though and most of them will still say: "Bregott of course!".

Forward to 2022 and Bregott is as popular as ever. It is always made from Swedish cream and rapeseed oil and it is still one of the most beloved products in Sweden. Because of its unique taste and added nostalgia, it is a very missed product for Swedes living abroad. That is probably why it is one of the most sold products in the Swedishness shop (along with cheez doodles and julmust). 

There is a Bregott for every taste. Normalsaltat, Extrasaltat and Havssalt have been favourites for a long time. If you prefer less fat, there are Bregott Mellan and Bregott Mindre. We also have Bregott Lactose-free in the shop. The newest Bregott to the collection is Bregott Brynt with Swedish cream mixed with browned butter, rapeseed oil and a pinch of salt. Bregott Brynt has a nutty, caramelized aroma and taste and is perfect for sandwiches but works really well with baking and frying as well.