KOEZE CREAM-NUT: THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER IN THE WORLD & OTHER STORIES

A few years ago, a good friend of mine, Gauri, who worked at Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan came to stay with me in London and brought with her a jar of peanut butter as a gift.

I have to be honest that, being the ungrateful wretch that I am, I berated her for hours for bringing such a crappy gift until, unable to take any more, she instructed me to “shut the fuck up” sat me down on the sofa and force fed me some of said nut butter straight from the jar with a spoon.

It was a revelation with just prime peanuts and a little salt as its contents and, once HP got in on the act, the large jar of KOEZE’S CREAM-NUT lasted less than twenty-four hours and I returned home the next day to find him with his head in the fridge making yummy noises normally reserved for pork products as he cleaned out the last of the jar with a wet finger.

On my next visit to Ann Arbor, I picked up a couple more jars, which disappeared just as quickly, but have not been able to find any since then having to suffice myself with our own crappy UK equivalents and fond memories of peanut butters past.

That is until a few days ago when I contacted one Marcus Carter.

I actually got in touch with him to talk about a fascinating virtual project he is working on and about which I shall write at a later date. However, during our conversation, Marcus mentioned that, as well as that, he was also an importer of foodstuffs from the US and South Africa. He sent me a link to his website and, as I glanced over the list of sauces, dips and marinades, my eyes stopped on the picture above.

There it was in all its glory KOEZE CREAM-NUT PEANUT BUTTER. If truth be told, I actually experienced an agreeable little shiver of pleasure and the rest of my conversation with Marcus was a bit of a blur as memories of eating the stuff came flooding back.

Kindly, despite my tele-idocy, Marcus agreed to meet me yesterday and gave me a tasting of the whole of his range. It’s good stuff actually it’s great stuff, with Braswell’s Wing Sauce from the US and a South African Peri-Peri sauce worthy of particular mention. But, star place however was reserved for the jar of peanut butter Marcus presented me with at the end of our meeting.

I could have hugged him, even though he was by his own admission rather moist from carrying around bags of samples he had been showing to customers all day. His range is available in lots of butchers shops, including the blessed Jack O’ Shea and also on line at his nascent website.

Well worth sampling and, even if you just get a jar of that peanut butter, trust me you wont regret it.