Main Street News

The idea for Bear Butter all started with creator Jon Vella’s acai bowl and smoothie shop, The Spot, in Pittsfield, MA. He opened the juice and smoothie bar, located on Tyler Street, in 2018, and while trying to grow The Spot’s brand, Jon found himself eating a lot of protein balls from a coffee shop nearby. 

After a while, he thought to himself, “Why don’t I just make these myself with our homemade almond butter?” 

After a slightly failed attempt (the protein balls were delicious, they just didn’t hold their shape!) Jon realized that he had something delicious in Bear Butter, which he described as “trail mix in a jar.”

He’s been selling Bear Butter at The Spot for a while, but eventually he decided that it would be a great idea to combine the ideas of his two brands to create the first Bear Butter shop in Great Barrington, MA, which opened in April. The result is a cool spot that operates very similarly to that of The Spot in Pittsfield, but promotes and showcases the Bear Butter brand. 

What exactly is Bear Butter? 

Bear Butter is described as “the best almond butter ever, with a unique twist,” according to the brand’s website. 

It’s a blend of almond butter and vegan protein, with chunks of cacao nibs, goji berries, hemp seeds, flax seeds, and coconut flakes, creating a chunky texture. What are the benefits? Almonds contain lots of healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium, and vitamin E and the vegan vanilla protein powder is gluten free, dairy free, cholesterol free, and non-GMO.

As for the additives, the cacao nibs are a good source of fiber, protein, and healthy fats; goji berries are one of the most powerful antioxidant superfoods on the planet; golden flax seeds are a well-rounded source of essential nutrients and omega-3 fatty acids; hemp seeds are one of the best sources of highly absorbable plant protein; and coconut flakes are high in dietary fiber and protein.

Jon has also created a smooth version of Bear Butter – made with a blend of foraged reishi, chaga, shiitake, maitake, oyster, turkey tail, cordyceps, and lion’s mane mushrooms – effectively creating the same protein packed, nutritious butter with a smoother result. 

Previously, Jon made every jar of Bear Butter in the kitchen at The Spot, but he has recently outsourced the production to keep up with demand. Bear Butter can be found all across Massachusetts, from the Berkshires to Boston, as well as in select locations in New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. 

In the blender 

“I don’t like when I go to smoothie shops and there’s thirty different smoothies on the menu, but they’re all basically the same with one little change,” he said. “Every smoothie here has a theme and they all play a role.” 

For example, the Berkshire Apple Jacks is made with apples, banana, maple syrup, bear butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey oat granola, and oat milk, while the Vacay Smoothie features mango, pineapple, banana, coconut flakes, chia seeds, and orange juice. 

The same is true for the acai bowls. Some are higher in protein, some have a touch of caffeine in them, and some are packed with seeds – pumpkin, sunflower, chia, and flax – for an extra kick of energy and nutrients. 

Of course, if none of the smoothies on the menu interest you, you’re always more than welcome to pick from a variety of add-ins and build your own smoothie. 

“It’s cool to care about how you consume. When I was growing up, it was cool to just not care, like in general, but I think that’s changing. I’m trying to get people to know that it’s cool to care about what you put in your bodies and how you consume things, and paying attention to what’s actually going on around you.” 

Bringing the bear beyond the Berkshires

Undoubtedly, Jon’s favorite part about his job is the smiles he gets from customers. “I’m just the wheeler and dealer,” he mused. “When we first opened, I would tell employees it’s our goal for people to walk out having a better day than when they came in, whether they’re conscious of it or not, and I really wanted to make healthy an option for people in Pittsfield and now, Great Barrington.” 

In the future, Jon hopes to expand the Bear Butter brand and open more shops in the Northeast, as well as beyond, and he hopes to make Bear Butter a household name that people are interested in traveling for. 

“I’d like to have Bear Butter shops around, so when people travel to the area they can say, ‘Oh, we have to go to the Bear Butter store!’” he said. “Obviously brand recognition is the goal, but I love the idea that it contributes to the local tourism economy here in the Berkshires, too.” 

Visit The Spot at 381 Tyler Street, Pittsfield, MA and Bear Butter at 323 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA, or visit them online at www.bearbutterco.com and keep up with them on Instagram @bearbutterofficial.