Years 9 and 10 Food Technology classes had the amazing opportunity to hear from and witness the extraordinary works of Pierre ‘Pepe’ Issa, otherwise known as Pepe Saya. Pepe Saya launched his butter making business in 2010, although his passion for food began at an early age, watching his Lebanese Australian family make their own yoghurt. Not only a producer of gourmet butter, Pepe Saya is also known for his cream, crème friache and mascarpone, and his products can be found in acclaimed restaurants including; Rockpool Bar and Grill, Sepia, as well as Qantas first class. He prides himself on using old school artisanal methods and the best locally sourced ingredients. The process of butter making begins with cream; is the staple ingredient for producing the best cultured butter. It is heated up to 40 degrees and then inoculated with lactic bacteria. It is then aged for 3 weeks so the bacteria eats the lactose and converts it into lactic acid. The longer it is left, the more flavour there is in the fat. The resulting butter is kneaded, worked and packed by hand. During our time with Pepe Saya, we were able to sample his cultured butter, as well as make our own uncultured butter through the process of shaking cream in a jar and then adding milk until it separates. Throughout the lesson, we gained insight into the time, effort and passion put into making butter and the importance of using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Pepe Saya, and would like to thank him and his team for sharing their extensive knowledge on butter and dairy products with us.
