The milkman goes online to offer milk and more

After 150 years of the Great British milk delivery service, it’s plain to see that milkmen have come a long way since the late 1850s when demand caused them to pick up a low-wheeled cart to make deliveries from door-to-door. Yet in principle, the very essence of the milkman - as a reliable fixture in the local community – has remained the same throughout the centuries.

Up until the First World War milkmen would deliver three times a day, from early in the morning to as late as tea time, filling jugs from a large churn on their push pram or horse-drawn cart. By the next great war, there were more ‘milkwomen’ than men, as women found themselves drawn in due to the shortage of males.

While famous faces such as Sean Connery and Marco Pierre White have both donned the clean-cut uniforms, today milkmen are still a much loved pillar of the community.

According to new research by Dairy Crest, a fifth of Brits who don’t currently have a milkman feel there would be a greater sense of community with one doing the rounds. Thinking back to our own childhoods, almost half of us (46%) remember the milkman being a big part of the community. Many Brits today still know their milkman by name and some even go as far as to call them a ‘local hero’.

Guy Whittaker, a local milkman from Guildford, said: “So much has changed in the past 150 years but one thing people have always been able to rely on is that their local milkman delivers to them come rain or shine. We wanted to extend our service so that our customers could rely on us for more than just milk which is why the new milk&more service is so great. We’ve been here for 150 years and with this service we aim to be here for another 150.”

Now the next stage in the evolution of the milkman has taken place – and it’s not just milk that your milkman will be delivering. Dairy Crest’s new service milk&more has moved your milkman online so that you can order everyday food essentials and household products to be delivered to your doorstep the next morning.

To register for the new online delivery service from Dairy Crest, go to milkandmore.co.uk.