This October, the Kota & Kota Kai chef and long-time friend of Falmouth Oyster Festival is joining forces with Cornish Dairy for a hands-on masterclass exploring one of the best ways to add a little extra magic to your cooking: compound butter.

From oysters and seafood to warm bread, vegetables and just about anything else you fancy, a really good flavoured butter can transform a dish – and Jude is going to show you exactly how to make your own.

We caught up with him ahead of the festival to talk butter, Cornish produce and why sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.

Jude, let’s start with the important question – what makes a really good butter?

For me, it’s all about the quality of the butter to begin with. If you’ve got a really good Cornish butter, like the ones Cornish Dairy make, you’re already halfway there.  Then it’s about adding flavours that complement it rather than overpowering it.

And what do you love about working with compound butter?

It’s versatile and it’s incredibly easy to make. You can take butter and add almost anything to it – herbs, spices, citrus, chilli, seaweed, smoked ingredients – and suddenly you’ve got something completely different.

It’s also one of those things you can make at home and keep in the fridge, so it’s a really useful thing to have in your cooking arsenal.

You’re making a Café de Paris-style butter at the masterclass. What can people expect?

Café de Paris is a classic flavoured butter, that originates from Switzerland and is traditionally packed with herbs and spices, and it’s fantastic with seafood – even if it was originally intended for steak. We’re going to put our own spin on it using Cornish ingredients.

The great thing about a recipe like this is that people can take the idea away and make it their own. You don’t necessarily need to follow a recipe exactly – once you understand the balance of flavours, you can start experimenting.

It sounds like the kind of thing that could become a bit addictive…

It probably will! Once you start making flavoured butters, you start looking around the kitchen thinking, What else can I put in this?

And that’s what I really like about these kinds of masterclasses. It’s not just about watching a chef cook something. Hopefully people leave thinking, I can actually do that.

What makes Cornish ingredients so good to work with?

We’re incredibly lucky in Cornwall. We have amazing produce on our doorstep, from seafood and dairy to vegetables, herbs and all the things that grow really well here.

For me, it’s about keeping things relatively simple and letting those ingredients do the talking. You don’t need to do too much when the produce is this good.

And, of course, butter and oysters are a pretty good combination…

Absolutely. Butter and seafood are a natural match. You’ve got that richness from the butter alongside the freshness and salinity of the oysters.

The trick is getting the balance right. You don’t want the butter to completely dominate the oyster – you want it to enhance what’s already there.

What do you enjoy most about being part of Falmouth Oyster Festival?

There’s a real sense of community around the festival. It celebrates something that is incredibly important to Falmouth and Cornwall, but it’s also a great excuse to get people together, eat some brilliant food and have a good time.

And I love that there’s such a mix of things happening. You can come for the oysters, discover a new producer, listen to some music, have a drink and then go and learn something new.

You and Emma Lawes from Cornish Dairy are also taking to the Main Stage on Thursday. What are you cooking?

We’ll be doing a live demo together at 4pm on Thursday 8 October, looking at how you can use great Cornish butter to bring another dimension to seafood. It’ll be a chance to see some of those ideas in action and hopefully pick up a few tips that people can try at home.

So there are two chances to get your butter fix at this year’s festival…

Exactly! The Main Stage demo is a great one to come and watch, and then the masterclass gives you the chance to get involved yourself.

Come along, have some fun and hopefully leave with a new appreciation for just how much you can do with a really good butter.

Finally, what would you say to anyone thinking about joining your masterclass?

Come along and get your hands dirty! It’s going to be relaxed and fun, and you’ll leave with some delicious butter that you can take home and enjoy.

And hopefully you’ll be inspired to start experimenting with your own flavours. Butter is a great place to start – it makes everything better!

Jude Kereama at Falmouth Oyster Festival

Thursday 8 October, 4pm – Main Stage
Jude will be joined by Emma Lawes from Cornish Dairy for a live cooking demonstration, showcasing the versatility of Cornish butter alongside seafood.

Compound Butter Masterclass – Jude Kereama & Cornish Dairy
Get hands-on with Jude and the Cornish Dairy team as you create a Café de Paris-style compound butter using Cornish ingredients. Learn the techniques, play with flavours and discover how a simple flavoured butter can transform seafood and plenty more besides. Book your tickets here.