How to butter toast

Sunday 3.38pm

1. To get the butter on to the knife, hold it at right angles to the butter and scrape across. The butter will rise up in a beautiful curl.

2. To transfer the butter onto your toast, place the knife almost flat against the toast, with the top edge slightly more raised than the cutting edge. Now press gently and slide the knife across. The butter will spread itself onto the toast. If your toast is still warm you can now wait a few seconds for the butter to soften before spreading again. This method works for bread as well of course, even the softest.


If there is one guiding theme in my life it is the constant search for simplicity. In work, in leisure, in deeds, words and actions. The best, the most elegant solution to any problem is usually the simplest.




Watching my eldest son struggling to butter some bread, using the point of the knife (and moaning vociferously about the bread tearing) led me to look at how I did it.