My Passion for Dairy
By Annie Bell, author of The Modern Dairy (Kyle Books). She also works with dairy producers helping them promote the quality of their products
Don’t ditch dairy if you want to make a difference
A recent blog by fellow Free Range Dairy Network director, Carol Lever, cited consumer research by Harris Interactive, which provided a sharp insight into changing attitudes toward milk and dairy, particularly amongst 16 to 24 year olds. 39% of respondents in this age group said they were ditching dairy, due to increasing concerns about its…
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Is Dairy Scary?
A survey in The Grocer last week asked a pertinent question, in light of the vegan campaign against dairy in the UK, ‘Do Brits think Dairy is Scary? ‘ The Dairymen 2017, published by The Grocer commissioned exclusive consumer research from Harris Interactive to find out the truth behind British attitudes to dairy and it…
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Dairy – the real plant based drink?
When I was in a local supermarket last week, I picked up a carton of Alpro Roasted Almond (unsweetened). I noticed, on the packaging, an image of a white liquid, very much like milk, gushing from a split almond and wondered, could it be milk? I looked carefully at the ingredients listed on the back…
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Down on Adam’s Farm
What a great time we had at Countryfile Live last weekend. It might have rained a bit and the high winds at one point sent the gazebo flying across the field but nothing could dampen our enthusiasm. We were just really excited to be there and have the chance to find out what people really…
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Cows don’t have a Voice but you have a Choice
Recently, Compassion in World Farming released a map of the UK showing a proliferation of factory farms in the UK. From their research, they’ve found that ‘factory farming has taken over UK food production’ with around 70% of farm animals in the UK kept in factory farms, ‘where they spend their lives in overcrowded barns…
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Extinction and Livestock
By Philip Lymbery, Chief Executive Officer of Compassion in World Farming Philip Lymbery is chief executive of leading international farm animal welfare organisation, Compassion in World Farming, and Visiting Professor at the University of Winchester. He played leading roles in many major animal welfare reforms, including Europe-wide bans on veal crates for calves and barren…
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What’s wrong with organic milk?
Just recently I came across a new milk label in a supermarket. Well, not a new label exactly, more like an existing label which had two words added to it – ‘free range’. I have since learned that this is the result of dairy giant Arla rebranding its organic milk offer, to help people fully…
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Birmingham’s First Coffee Festival
I was at Birmingham’s first coffee festival this weekend, to support Cotteswold Dairy who were the official milk sponsor for the event. This meant that they provided Pasture Promise free range milk for all of the coffee roasters and baristas to use over the two day festival. The UK has become a nation of coffee…
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Stephenson’s Free Range Milk in Booths stores
I’m delighted to report that Free Range Milk pioneers, Stephenson’s Dairy, have been offered the chance to supply milk to 24 Booths stores in the north west of England, from July 1st. Chris & Steph Stephenson took up the Pasture Promise logo back in May 2015 and switched all of their customers to free range milk.…
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Free Range Milk in Mid Counties Co-op stores
I’m delighted to tell you that our mission to offer British consumers the choice of free range milk, has recently been given another significant boost, thanks to Mid Counties Co-op. They are now stocking Cotteswold Dairy’s free range milk in over 40 stores, which you can find here. The Mid Counties Co-operative is the largest…
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Support Local Producers
Throughout the month of June, the Sustainable Restaurant Association is running it’s Celebrate Local Producers Campaign, encouraging members to source more fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy from British suppliers. There’s lots of reasons why buying the cheapest produce can make financial sense when running a restaurant but your business doesn’t operate in isolation. Add the…
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How will you celebrate World Milk Day?
As World Milk Day celebrations get under way, I thought you might be interested in a few milk stats, to impress anyone you are having round for a few pints of the white stuff. There’s an awful lot of milk produced and consumed around the globe. Between 2013 and 2015 world milk production stood at…
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Asda offers an opportunity for more Free Range Dairy farmers
We are delighted to announce that from today, Asda are extending the offer of Free Range Dairy Farmers milk to more stores, following a positive reaction from customers who have been campaigning for the milk to be available in their area. Asda launched Free Range Dairy Farmer’s Milk in to 109 stores in March this…
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Getting the Balance Right
I went to the first Balance Festival held in London on Friday. A three day festival dedicated to health and fitness shows how big the industry has grown over the years and is still a growing in the UK. I attended the Health and Wellness Summit Friday morning, which included a series of talks about…
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Outstanding Contribution to Farming
I was delighted to receive the award for Outstanding Contribution to Farming at the 2017 Western Daily Press Food & Farming Awards, which were held on Tuesday evening (9th May). It was a great pleasure to get to shake the hand of Gloucester and England rugby legend Phil Vickery upon receiving my award too. I…
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What does the Election mean for Food and Farming in the UK?
In the run up to the EU Referendum one topic that should have taken centre stage but seemed to be relegated to the understudy role was food and farming. A fact noticed by others including Professor Kevin Morgan of Cardiff University who said it had Cinderella status in a recent blog As an ecological as…
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Our changing landscape
There hasn’t been much in the news lately about cuts in milk prices or the blockading of supermarket distribution centres by angry farmers. That’s because over the last six months there has been a steady rise in farm gate prices, following a significant drop in production on farms. Total UK milk production was 770 million…
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Cows like to be outside
By Helen Lambert, an animal welfare scientist who is globally renowned for her expertise on animal sentience and her research into measuring cattle emotions. Helen works as a free-lance consultant to support charities, industry and universities with insight and research into animal welfare and sentience. For more information please visit her website Asking cows what they…
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Free Range Dairy Network Conference
I came away from our first Free Range Dairy Network conference this year feeling very positive. Not only did we have about 70 can-do people attend the conference but we also had some fantastic news from Yeshna Mistry from Sustainability Restaurant Association. Their new sustainability rating includes points for members taking Pasture Promise free range…
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