WORCESTER, Mass.- If you're looking for a new place in Worcester to find homemade biscuits, Buttered may just have you covered.

The new pop-up eatery, started by Kate Rush in July 2021, specializes in hand-pressed, home-style, buttermilk biscuits, made in-house with clean ingredients.

Rush said that she has had an entrepreneurial spirit since a young age, and saw the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to start something new.

“The first wave shutdown gave me time to seek clarity and do market research, and the stimulus payments were a part of the capital that opened the business in July 2021,” Rush said. “In September, I sat down with Shon Rainford at the Worcester Regional Food Hub for the first time, and we moved in a few weeks later in October.” 

“Beyond a cooperative kitchen space, (the Food Hub) is also a small business incubator and the quality and quantity of knowledge and opportunities they hold has been an asset that can’t be overstated," Rush said. 

Outside of their home at the Food Hub, Buttered has found positive exposure and support in operating at various locations in the city, including Redemption Rock Brewing Co. and the Worcester Public Market. Their menu items can vary for each pop-up, but Buttered’s most popular item, the Morgan’s Famous Sausage Gravy and Biscuits (a peppery, white gravy with hot and sweet sausage, rainbow bell peppers, and green onion on a buttered and toasted biscuit) has become a flagship item for the business (see lead image above). 

Besides support from Worcester businesses, Rush said the support from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.

“There’s a never-ending love for comfort foods and we’ve been lucky enough to have pop-ups in a couple different breweries and music venues around town,” Rush said. “We have a few faces that will follow us from spot to spot to indulge, and I’m recognizing more of them every month.”

During the past fall and winter season, Buttered also offered holiday sampler boxes on their website, offering a variety of flavors including original honey, cranberry brie, and more. The business plans to offer these boxes once again next holiday season, besides boxes in collaboration with other local businesses.

“Everything for the foreseeable future will be building toward our first van, and then we’ll start replicating and spreading out across the city,” Rush said. “When the time comes, the plan is to grow into a company that can offer our employees more than a living wage, but a true thriving wage.”

With the expansion of the Food Hub at Union Station, Rush is hopeful in the future that Buttered will maintain a permanent home downtown to operate from, allowing them to continue operating pop-up locations throughout the city.

“The future is full of opportunities and unexpected changes, so I’m keeping an open mind and am always excited to hear new ideas.” Rush said. “We want to grow right alongside Worcester through its revitalization.”

On Saturday, Buttered will be open at Redemption Rock Brewing Co. from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. For more information, visit their website here.