Supermarket Milk - is it local?

jollyme

Hi, for some time now I have been wondering how many miles my supermarket milk has travelled since it left the cow that produced it. I am keen to minimise the number of unnecessary miles travelled by produce that's heading for my table. Given that I am almost certainly going to be buying from the supermarket and not doorstep milk (sorry) I would like to choose the supermarket that I buy my milk from - or at least be aware of how far my milk has travelled. Can anyone give me any idea how I might find out?

moonrakerz

Basically - and bizarrely - the cheaper the milk, the mores miles it has probably travelled !

The UK supermarkets have been driving milk prices down and down. Many UK farmers are giving up on milk production as the supermarkets buy in from abroad.
I will let you decide what will happen when the majority of our milk supplies are controlled by foreign governments - like our oil and gas !

http://stevebeasant.mycouncillor.org.uk/2009/11/04/tim-farron-says-surge-in-imports-of-liquid-milk-is-staggering-up-60/

jollyme

Thanks, moonrakerz. What you say is what my concerns are based around. I am hoping that somehow somewhere there might be detailed information. I do not feel comfortable simply assuming that if I pay more then it is more locally produced. Perhaps I should contact the supermarkets directly?

davetrousers

I have noticed in Asda (in Fareham) that they sell local milk from Wickham (ie about 5 miles away). It isn't sold as 'Local' as such, it say's Watson's Dairy, then in smaller print says they are in Wickham. Maybe other Asdas do something similar.

Tesco used to do local choice which meant it was from somewhere local, it cost about 5p more for 2 pints. Can't seem to find that now.

cyberbob

jollyme wrote: »

Thanks, moonrakerz. What you say is what my concerns are based around. I am hoping that somehow somewhere there might be detailed information. I do not feel comfortable simply assuming that if I pay more then it is more locally produced. Perhaps I should contact the supermarkets directly?

Remember you dont have to buy your milk from the Supermarket. Supermarkets are more likely to give the actual farmers less money per pint

Search for a local dairy ask them where there milk is sourced and ask where there milk is sold.

We're lucky here we have a local dairy who produce milk from there own cows. Its a few pence more a pint but the milk is better in my opinion than supermarket milk.

jollyme

Thanks cyberbob, I hadn't thought of approaching things that way round. I'll see how I get on exploring that further.

pramsay13

The co-op have a policy of locally sourcing their milk.
There are also a few search sites for local milkmen... try
http://www.findmeamilkman.net

jollyme

I'm afraid my milk usage is very unpredictable and my local milkman doesn't deliver every day. So I do not feel it is an option for me.

leo~saphira

davetrousers wrote: »

Tesco used to do local choice which meant it was from somewhere local, it cost about 5p more for 2 pints. Can't seem to find that now.

The firm who used to supply milk to Tesco on the local front went bust last year in June (DFoB). Hence why you aren't able to find it anymore

I used to work out of the sheffield depot supplying the milk to Tescos in Yorkshire and N.Lincs