Garlic bread is having a renaissance, and the dairy free garlic spread for garlic bread taking insiders by storm comes from a father daughter team called Brala’s Best.
In a conversation that jumped from farmers markets to port pairings, co founder Claire McDonald laid out how a humble family recipe turned into a clean label cult favorite for discerning eaters around the country.
The pitch is simple, flavor first with ingredients you can pronounce, and a texture that crisps into a craveable crust. As Claire put it:
“Brala’s Best… is that element that makes meals magic.”
Extra cheese because you mean it
Brand origin stories are often tidy. This one is cheerfully messy, told between bites of a fast food cheeseburger. Claire remembered, “It’s just that little extra thing that makes it magic, that takes it from just a cheeseburger to the best possible version of a McDonald’s cheeseburger.” That became the north star for Brala’s Best, the dairy free garlic spread for garlic bread that turns everyday food into its “best possible version,” whether you are dressing up a weeknight dinner in Chicago or hosting friends in Berlin.
From dad’s kitchen to a garlic bread anchor
The product started with Claire’s father making a batch at home that stopped the family in its tracks.
“Wait a second. This needs to be a thing.”
Early experiments ranged from bagels as a cream cheese alternative to the obvious winner, garlic bread. Then came the hard lesson every new brand faces.
“Focusing is super important. We were really going broad … But the lay person who is trying something new, wants a little more direction.”
Garlic bread became the anchor, an easy on ramp for shoppers in upscale markets who want clarity at shelf.
Four fast uses you will actually eat tonight
Claire’s advice nods to a theme, the dairy free garlic spread for garlic bread is also a utility player:
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“Think garlic bread, burger buns, or garlic bread, grilled cheese,” for a simple upgrade that feels restaurant quality.
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For meat, “the Buffalo and the Chipotle are really wonderful as a meat rub … it doesn’t melt … it’s really going to make like a bark.”
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For snacks, “I put it on a spoon and put it in my mouth,” but yes, crudités work too.
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For pizza night, use naan as a base, then “prosciutto, thinly sliced fig, a little bit of blue cheese or Gorgonzola, and then a little honey drizzled at the end.”
Clean label without the health halo trap
Is it a health product or a flavor bomb? Claire answered, “It’s in the middle.” The spread swaps old school margarine for a high oleic sunflower oil base, a fat profile richer in monounsaturated fats than standard sunflower oil. Research and industry resources note that high oleic sunflower oil functions as a MUFA rich option when replacing saturated fat, which can favorably affect blood lipids. For shoppers scanning labels, that is a meaningful difference, and it supports the brand’s positioning as a cleaner alternative to margarine based, dairy laden garlic spreads according to PubMedWebMD
Brala’s Best is also pursuing Non GMO Project verification, a certification widely recognized by North American consumers and built on a rigorous standard and ongoing surveillance. The familiar butterfly seal helps shoppers quickly identify products that avoid high risk GMO inputs, cited from nongmoproject.org+1NSF
Claire put the contrast plainly:
“When we compare this to the typical garlic spread for garlic bread, you’re looking at ones that are margarine based. They have dairy in them … we don’t have any of that in our product.”
Pairing notes for a sophisticated palate
Claire’s current sip of choice is port.
“I would say that port would pair beautifully with the garlic bread.”
Farmers market taught the Brala Team
Sampling days revealed a naming lesson and a sensory one.
“We were calling it garlic whip and people were walking up and going, what is garlic whip,” which is great for conversation at a stall, less so for a crowded shelf.
Brala’s Best brings a crisping, dairy free garlic spread for garlic bread that earns its place in your kitchen. Start with garlic bread as your anchor, then explore the burger buns, meat rub bark, and naan pizza that keep the jar moving.
Smart packaging, and where to find it
The team is rolling out scannable QR code recipes on packages and is setting up a recipe hub when their website goes live at bralasbest.com and the QR enabled recipe library. Follow along on Instagram at @bralasbes
