ButtaNutt: from nut stall to national staple, Antoine van Heerden’s plant-based vision comes to life

WHAT began as a university passion project has blossomed into one of South Africa’s most recognisable plant-based food brands.

- ASHLEY LECHMAN

For Antoine van Heerden, founder of ButtaNutt, the path from engineering student to food entrepreneur was shaped by family roots and a love for wholesome, local produce.

“My parents started farming full-time when I moved down to Stellenbosch. Holidays were spent harvesting macadamias and litchis or helping out at the farm stall. With my sister studying cooking, I was exposed to the food industry from farm to fork. The pivot to food felt natural” Van Heerden said.

Founded in 2013, ButtaNutt began as a stall at local markets, selling handcrafted nut butters.

But as the plant-based movement grew globally, so too did the brand’s ambition.

By 2020, ButtaNutt had entered the plant-based milk space, a decision that has paid off, with triple-digit growth recorded year after year.

“The consumption frequency of plant-based milks is much higher than that of nut spreads, so we were playing catch-up for a while,” Van Heerden said.

“Brand presence, formulation, and pricing played a big role. We were able to compete with imported products early on, even without scale efficiencies.'

Despite the success, Van Heerden noted that scaling a South African plant-based brand came with its challenges. These included access to capital, hiring the right people, and striking the delicate balance between quality and affordability.