A CHURCH Stretton dairy farm has lengthened its list of non-homogenised milk bottle stockists to Ludlow’s Myriad Organics.

Jaci and Tristan Dale of Hatton Farm, Church Stretton, have rapidly expanded their organic grass-fed milk bottle and self-service milk vending machine business in recent months.

Their milk bottles branded as Proper Good Dairy are now stocked in 15 shops across Shropshire such as Condover Post Office, The Wenlock Deli in Much Wenlock, Turner’s Top Shop in Bridgnorth.

“It’s been amazing to see more people discovering, or rediscovering, what milk actually tastes like,” said Ms Dale.

“We pasteurise the milk gently and don’t homogenise, so it retains as much of its natural flavour as possible.

“Being able to connect personally with the people buying our milk has been really rewarding.”

Once bought, Proper Good Dairy’s litre milk bottles can be returned to the shop or refilled using a vending machine at their farm or at stockists in Church Stretton, Craven Arms, Pontesbury and Shrewsbury.

Their vending machine at their farm also stocks cheese, butter, pop and other products.

“The milk is so easy,” said Nancy Charest of Myriad Organics in Ludlow.

“You just buy your first bottle and then you just keep bringing it back when you need your other one.

“People really like the quality of the milk and our customers like to encourage local farmers.”

Earlier in April’s lockdown, some farmers were forced to pour milk down drains as lockdown measures dramatically reduced demand from the hospitality sector.

However, the pandemic has altered consumer habits to be more ‘locally conscious’ where many local producers are seeing increased sales.

In the 1980s, 90 per cent of milk consumed by Britons was delivered to the doorstep and three years ago this was just three per cent.

Most milk is sold in plastic containers.