Farmers milk idea that will keep their business afloat

A farming family, who  were faced with having to sell off their dairy herd, have gone back to tradition with a revolutionary idea that is sweeping the UK.
Raw Milk direct from the dairy herd is set to be sold at a Sabden farmRaw Milk direct from the dairy herd is set to be sold at a Sabden farm
Raw Milk direct from the dairy herd is set to be sold at a Sabden farm

The Gill family will be selling milk direct from their cows to the public starting from next month. They struck on the idea for the new business venture, Raw Milk, to keep their business going in the face of massive losses every month.

Nichola Gill, whose husband Edward runs Cockshott Farm with his brother Alan and their dad, Bobbie, said: “Supermarkets were paying us 16p a litre for milk but it was costing us 25p to produce it.

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“By selling direct to the public we can sell it for £1 a litre and although it is not all profit because we have running costs we will be at least making something.

“It is certainly better than the idea of considering having to sell our 60 strong herd.”

Inspired by a farm in Suffolk when it appeared on TV’s Countryfile show, the Gills visited the farm and decided it was the way forward for them also.

They have purchased a vending machine and the business, named Raw Milk, will officially launch on Saturday, October 1st.

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The milk, which has not been pasteurised or homogenized, will be available for the public to buy from a special cow print shed at the farm.

Nichola (26) who has an 11-month-old daughter called Lorna, added: “The milk is perfectly safe and is very good for you. Not many people realise you can drink raw milk if you are lactose intolerant because it is the pasteurisation process that creates the allergy problem. It is also good for eczema sufferers.

“We have received a very positive response from the community so far and we are expecting that sales will be good because people seem keen to try it.

“It does taste slightly different from what you may be used to at first.”

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The Gills will join the UK’s 200 producers who sell raw mill direct to consumers either at a farm, farmers’ market or through a delivery service.

Each bottle will display a warning that the product has not been heat treated and may contain organisms “harmful to health” and each dairy that sells it must conform to higher hygiene standards.