Bill Butterfield launched his business, Wild Willy's Seasonings, from his Richardton ranch, where he ranches with his wife, Jean, and family. Photos by NDAREC/Liza Kessel
Bill Butterfield is good at a lot of things.
The Lodgepole, S.D., native is in the Hettinger High School hall of fame. He got his PGA card two years after picking up a golf club. His Black Angus cows and calves eat out of the palm of his hand.
“I have to be competing in anything I do,” Butterfield says.
Four years ago, the self-taught pitmaster took home the People’s Choice award at his first competition barbecue event in Taylor.
Butterfield didn’t just bring the smoke that day: He brought his homemade seasonings.
“Knowing me, I had to come up with a logo, and I had to get merch and all kinds of stuff. I bottled up the GSP, the Rub and the Rib Rub – the three OGs (originals) – took them along to sell, sold out and won People‘s Choice,” Butterfield says.
Within a few months, the demand for his product grew.
“They started coming out to the house, wanting more of it. So, then I was like, you know, maybe we’ll just try this and go with it,” Butterfield says.
And at the Butterfield ranch along a red dirt road north of Richardton, Wild Willy’s Seasonings was born.
MASTERING THE SMOKE
With his kids grown, Butterfield shifted from coaching and rodeoing to cooking and smoking meats.
“I cook with pellet grills. I cook with charcoal. I cook with the oven. I cook with the gas grill. They all have their place,” he says.
“I just started having fun, trying different things on the smoker and different seasonings and stuff like that,” Butterfield says. “And then I kind of got to a point where I didn’t see why I couldn’t make them, so I started mixing my own seasonings together.”
Wild Willy’s Seasonings are simple, savory and as natural as possible, Butterfield says, with no fillers or MSG.
“I had a call from a guy out in South Heart and he was wondering what kind of sugar we used,” Butterfield says. “I said, ‘The same kind of sugar that you put on your table.’”
Since launching the business in 2022, Wild Willy’s Seasonings has grown to a line of six products: GSP, GSP Fuego, Rub, Rib Rub, The Bloody and Game Changer.
GSP, the bestseller, is a universal seasoning meant to replace salt and pepper shakers. GSP stands for “garlic, salt and pepper.” Or, German shorthaired pointer, Butterfield jokes, a nod to the hunting dog breed the family has owned.
“The original was designed to be kind of like toothpaste and toilet paper: You have to have it all the time,” he says.
GSP Fuego is a spicier version of the original GSP.
“I call it ‘North Dakota hot.’ It’s hot, but it’s not going to burn,” Butterfield says.
Put the Rub on any primal meats. Think burgers, steaks, prime rib and pork butt.
The Rib Rub is red to give the food more color. It goes on ribs, chicken and… popcorn?
“It makes it taste like kettle corn,” Butterfield says. “That’s another one the customers have found.”
Butterfield’s daughter, Haley Potter (husband, AJ), had the idea to create a Bloody Mary mix. But the Bloody seasoning can be used on anything. Customers say it’s the best French fry seasoning, is great on vegetables and levels up frozen pizza. Butterfield recommends it on his pig shots, beef lollipops and smoked creamed cheese – a perfect appetizer served with crackers.
Last year, Butterfield added a wild game seasoning to the lineup, the Game Changer. Apply it liberally to the meat and allow it to marinate in the fridge at least overnight. The longer, the better, Butterfield advises.
“It’s got a little sweet, a little heat, and it really is changing game,” Butterfield says.
And, he plans to debut another seasoning later this year.
Not sure which Wild Willy’s seasoning to try? You can’t go wrong, Butterfield promises.
“Our company slogan is, ‘It’s all good.’ You can put it on anything, any one of these (seasonings). You can put it on anything, and it’s gonna be OK,” Butterfield says.
BUILDING THE BRAND
The Wild Willy’s brand is quickly growing in popularity. It’s used by restaurants in Dickinson and Hettinger and sold in stores in seven states, including the Dakotas, Minnesota, Montana, Colorado, Nevada and Arizona. Many local retailers across North Dakota carry the product line, with more being added.
The support from across the state has been pivotal.
“It’s just amazing how North Dakotans like to support local businesses,” Butterfield says.
Wild Willy’s Seasonings is a certified Pride of Dakota product.
“Pride of Dakota is such a no-brainer,” Butterfield says. “They’re always doing stuff for you, marketing, putting you in touch with retailers, getting access to the shows.”
At a Pride of Dakota holiday showcase, Butterfield met a representative for a regional grocery store chain.
“He came up kind of unannounced and says, ‘I’ll be getting ahold of you. We want to put you in all our stores on I-94,’” Butterfield recalls.
Butterfield acknowledges none of it would be possible without the support and help from his family, both with the business and at home on the ranch.
“Jean is the heart and soul of this family,” Bill says of his wife.
The couple lives on her family’s Richardton ranch, which is served by Roughrider Electric Cooperative. They ranch with their son, Brendan, and his fiancé, Elle, who live on the Butterfield homeplace in Lodgepole, S.D, which is served by Grand Electric Cooperative. They run cattle in both locations.
”Jean, Haley, AJ, Brendan, Elle and even my sister, Pam, and her family help with shows, marketing and deliveries,” Bill says.
With his family behind him and his competitive nature, the future of Wild Willy’s Seasonings appears much like the company motto: “It’s all good!”
Visit wildwillyscookin.com to find a retailer near you.
“You’re supporting local. You’re supporting somebody who has put a lot of passion into the product. And it will make your food taste better,” Bill says.
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Cally Peterson is editor of North Dakota Living. She can be reached at cpeterson@ndarec.com.
