What’s your version of the butter test?
This week I was listening to a podcast about hospitality, nothing to do with branding, and a top chef said something that stuck with me.
He was asked: “How do you judge a restaurant before the food even arrives?”
Most people would say the service, the wine list, or the awards, but he said something else that really surprised me…
“It’s the butter.”
Too cold? The kitchen’s running behind.
Too soft? It’s been sat out too long.
But if it’s just right, soft enough to spread, served with warm bread, he relaxes.
Because it tells him the chef cares about the details. And if they’ve nailed that, they’ve probably nailed everything else too.
It reminded me of that Harrison Webb video at the Michelin-starred place I talked about in my last post, he goes to the toilet just to see if they’ll fold his napkin.
Six seconds later, it’s folded, his glass is topped up, and everything’s been reset.
These little things aren’t little. They’re the signal.
And it got me thinking, every business has a version of this. Your clients are looking for it. They might not realise it, but once they see it, they stop worrying. They can relax.
They trust you.
Maybe it’s a text letting them know when you arrive.
A clear weekly update of how the project is going.
Or the way you follow up and send a thoughtful gift after the work’s done.
It doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to show you care.
Because when you get the butter right, everything else tastes better.
