Bear Butter opens shop in Great Barrington

Just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Jonathan Vella was try to make energy balls at his business, The Spot in Pittsfield, when he ended up creating Bear Butter. He then jarred the mixture and the Bear Butter business took off from there.

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. (NEWS10) -- Just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Jonathan Vella was trying to make energy balls at his business, The Spot in Pittsfield, when he ended up creating Bear Butter. He then jarred the mixture and the Bear Butter business took off from there.

Known as a fortified almond butter, Bear Butter is a mixture of almonds, vegan vanilla protein, cacao nibs, goji berries, golden flax seeds, hemp seeds, and coconut flakes. Vella also makes a Foraged Mushroom Bear Better, which is smooth instead of chunky.

Vella started selling Bear Butter out of The Spot and now sells it at retailers around Massachusetts and Connecticut. Now, he's opened a Bear Butter in Great Barrington.

"We thought Great Barrington would be a great location to try out this idea I’ve had for a Bear Butter-branded spot," said Vella. "We vended from New York City to Portland, Maine the last couple years and have seen the way the majority of people respond to that first bite, so I thought maybe we can set up a situation where people come to us. Al Roker dropped in on day two!"

Bear Butter officially opened on April 11 and is very much like The Spot in that it has açaí bowls and smoothies, along with Bear Butter of course. The location just has a different name.

The menu includes smoothies such as "Berkshire Apple Jacks" and "Mint Chip Matcha," build-your-own smoothies, açaí bowls, and Bear Butter snacks such as the "Bear Paw" and "Apples + Bear Butter." You can check out the full menu on the Bear Butter website.

Bear Butter is open Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The shop is located at 323 Main Street in Great Barrington.