Why Drink Raw Milk?

Milk that is not raw is subject to three processes.

Pasteurisation - means the milk has been heat treated to kill most microbes.

Standardisation - to make a consistent fat content.  Some of the cream is usually removed to do this. 

Homogenisation - This is where milk is sent through tiny jets to break up fat molecules.  This keeps the fats in emulsion, which prevents the cream from rising to the top. 

Raw Milk is milk that is different in that after our cows have been milked the milk is just filtered and then cooled.  This preserves the delicious flavour and nutrients of the milk.  Raw milk also has a layer of cream on the top.  You can see this when purchasing milk in our reusable glass bottles.  If you don't want the cream on top, simply shake it back in.  Being a micro dairy, we can also tell you the names of the cows that the milk has come from! 

Raw Milk producers know that raw milk can be produced perfectly safely.  We are very passionate about this.  A lot has changed over the years since the need for pasteurisation first arose.  For example milk practises are much more hygienic now, we have refrigeration now where as in times gone by they did not and all dairy farms are subject to regulations and inspections, none more so than raw milk farms.  

Our raw milk is tested regularly by us as the producer but also by the Food Standard Agency.  Raw Milk farms such as ours must maintain high standards of hygiene and cleanliness and our premises and practises are inspected twice a year by a Dairy Hygiene Inspector.  Our herd is tested in line with government requirements for bovine tuberculosis and the milk can only be sold raw if the herd maintains its officially TB free status.

Our animals welfare and health is of paramount importance to us so you can be sure we take great care to look after our cows.   

1.  It's the tastiest way to drink it!! 

2.  No pasteurisation, homogenisation or standardisation means that no    

     nutrients or beneficial microbes are harmed in the making of it. 

3.  Raw Milk must be produced with higher hygiene standards than when milk  

      is produced for pasteurisation.

4.  Farmers get better prices for their milk which is essential for the 

      sustainability of dairy farming.  Most raw milk is sold directly from the 

      farm gate, so 100% of the cost goes back in to running the farm. 

5.  Always from a single farm, so the unique qualities from the herd and their 

      feed is reflected in the flavour of the milk. 

Milk is a whole food, containing a range of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, as well as a number of vitamins and minerals. Studies have shown that pasteurisation reduces concentrations of some nutrients such as Vitamins E, B12, B2, C and folate.  Some of the vitamins in milk, such as Vitamins D and A, are fat-soluble and can be lost through skimming, standardising, homogenising or if the fats are damaged through transporting and processing milk.  Some studies have shown that the absorption of Vitamin D and of Calcium are reduced in pasteurised milk.

There is a growing awareness of how important bacteria are to our health, and it is widely accepted that a healthy microbiome includes a diversity of bacteria and performs many functions in our body.  Eating foods that contain both bacteria and food for the bacteria supports our microbiome.  Raw milk is a natural and diverse pro-biotic containing lactobacilli and bifidobacterium amongst many others.  When milk is heat-treated the bacteria that thrive at our body temperature are killed, leaving only dead bacteria and ones that survive at a higher temperature.

If you are pregnant, very young or have a weakened immune system we would recommend that you do not drink raw milk.