The product
We process milk from local, family-run farms. This includes whole Duchy Organic cows’ milk, Duchy Organic Ayrshire milk, and whole and semi-skimmed goats’ milk.
Our Duchy Organic cows’ milk comes in one, two, and four pint bottles. It’s a traditional type of milk – unhomogenised – which means the cream rises to the top for an indulgent, creamy-tasting product.
Our Duchy Organic Ayrshire milk comes from Ayrshire cows that are free to roam on an organic farm in Gloucestershire. It’s also unhomogenised and creates richness when added to food and drink like coffee, cereal and porridge.
And our goats’ milk, which is homogenised, comes from selected farms in Oxfordshire.
All the milk produced at our unit is sold in our farm shop and Waitrose & Partners stores.
The process
Our milk processing unit is relatively small, processing about 7 million litres of milk from Oxfordshire goats and West Country cows.
The benefit of our modest size is that we can be agile in our approach, producing a quality product with little waste.
Our dairy can process both cows’ and goats’ milk quickly and efficiently using the most modern equipment. Each batch is quality tested, processed, bottled and dispatched in a matter of days for the freshest possible product.
We process milk for 312 days of the year and pack our bottles into reusable metal cages for transport, negating the need for plastic.
The team
Our unit is run by Sam, a dedicated manager with many years of experience in food processing.
Passionate about providing our customers with a superb-tasting product crafted using the best and most sustainable practices, and supported by a team of skilled operatives.
Ethics & sustainability
The cows’ milk we process comes from organic farms that operate sustainably and to exacting animal welfare standards.
All Duchy organic products, including our milk, provide a charitable donation from their sales. These donations have been helping good causes since 2009.
Our milk processing unit has cut the amount of plastic packaging it uses by around 55 tonnes per year and continues to look for opportunities to reduce waste and energy usage.
By working with nature and adopting processes that protect our environment, we can keep producing our delicious milk long into the future.
Uses & benefits
The milk can be enjoyed on its own or used to make creamy and indulgent dishes and drinks.
Awards & accolades
Our milk processing unit is accredited by the most highly regarded boards and schemes in our industry.
This includes a BRC AA award – the best of its kind a business can receive – and certification from the Soil Association, Red Tractor, and LabCred.
