We use a lot of butter in my house and sometimes I even get fresh butter and that stuff is hard to find something to hold it well and this dish does it. I could even buy a block of butter from the store and it would fit in here. I like to keep butter out for when we want to put it on toast or on a biscuit so it is always soft and ready for use. The knife on the top makes it even easier to use since it is right there with the dish. The cows on the front are fun, whimsical and cute.