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My name is Kirby Platt, founder and owner of Umami Me. I've been a creator for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, in a house of three kids with a single mother, I learned early on that if you want to build something, you have to use the talents you have. When I was five, that meant cleaning smooth rocks from the ditch, painting them, and going door-to-door to sell them. Between "Kirby’s Cafe" in our family kitchen and raking neighbors’ yards, the spirit of building something from nothing was always there. As I got older, that same drive led me to open a handmade custom rug business. I’ve always known that my dream was to make a living off the things I create.

My journey with brown butter didn't start overnight; it’s been 18 years in the making. In 2008, I started making my own ghee after learning the holistic health system of Ayurveda. I noticed the flavor enhancement that ghee provided, but it was never fully “there.” About a year ago, I discovered the art of browning butter, and everything clicked. That "Umami" moment was the depth of flavor I had been chasing for nearly two decades.

I started by sharing my brown butter treats with coworkers, and the reaction was immediate. Even people I’d never met were asking if I was “the cookie lady” and wondering where they could buy them. In June 2025, I made my first official sale, and Umami Me was born.

At Umami Me, we believe brown butter is an ingredient that belongs in every kitchen. I like to think of our cookies and treats as a "soft intro"—a delicious way to experience the magic of brown butter for the first time. Once you taste the difference it makes in a cookie, you start to imagine what it can do for your alfredo sauce, your morning toast, or your own home baking.

What started as a small-batch operation for my coworkers has grown onto retail shelves across the Charleston area and local markets. We are on a mission to premiumize the way you think about butter, one jar (and one cookie) at a time.