
Home milk deliveries from local dairies and creameries used to be a part of the daily routine for many families up to the 1950s and ’60s. However as it became easier and cheaper to purchase milk from the store, the milkman began to disappear.

However as many Millenials shift to more sustainable ways of living, avoiding unnecessary plastic and waste, the milkmen and women of London UK- are making a come back.


It turns out that many will pay a little more for a service, if it’s better bid to help the environment.

Milk&More and Parker Dairies of London UK have both seen a dramatic increase in their demand for glass bottles since 2018. Claiming that David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II is the catalyst for the uptake.


With close to a 25 percent increase in two-years – figures estimate that doorstep deliveries make up 3 percent of all milk sales in the UK. Which is around 1 million pints per day.

Depot manager, Paul Lough of Parker Dairies thinks this interest in glass bottles is “absolutely phenomenal”. In less than a year, he gained 382 new customers, and of these new calls – 95 percent are getting glass bottles.

Paul says: “People are much more environmentally conscious and so they are asking if we do glass,”. Since glass milk bottles can be reused up to 25 times before they are recycled into new bottles, it’s a favorable way to decrease waste. Plus, everything just tastes better when it comes from a cold glass bottle.


In addition to milk deliveries, Paul has started to offer other services to his customers, he knows that the glass bottle dairy has attracted a younger crowd, and so he is working alongside the demographic, improving their product list to also include things like sourdough bread and local honey.

Meanwhile, a fellow company Milk&More says that it has gained more than 2,500 customers in just one month. With an equivalent of up to five new milk rounds, 90 percent of these customers are also requesting the iconic glass bottles.

Patrick Müller, managing director of Milk&More, said: “The glass bottle is an exciting product… We think that it has a future.” It’s no longer just a thing of the past. “We believe the tradition of the milkman has some fantastic elements that are relevant now. They are a reliable presence for pre-breakfast delivery, they offer an exciting product range including locally sourced produce, and can be a part of the community.

“We just have to make them relevant for the modern consumer.”

Patrick says his new customers are aged around 35 years old, many with young families with a double income.

“It’s popular with families, so people that care about the local community and local produce. They want the story behind their produce but they don’t have the time to get it.

“We talked with customers and they said they enjoy the experience of the glass bottle – the childhood memories – and they want to reduce their plastic wastage.”AdvertisementAdvertisement

Let’s welcome back the milkman and milkwoman ~