Friday 29th February, 2008
WHAT A LOT OF BOTTLE!!!
ASDA's local farmers celebrate breaking 50 million pint barrier
Local dairy farmers were today celebrating breaking through the 50 million pint barrier just five years after ASDA sold its first ever locally sourced pint of milk from Trewithen Farm in Cornwall.
Since 2002, the retailer has increased its local milk offer to include over 70 local brands which are now available in nearly two thirds of its stores nationwide.
Research carried out by ASDA shows that its stores in Bodmin, Cornwall, and Pwllheli, in Wales, sell the most local milk, with more than 20% of all milk sold coming from local dairies.
Chris Brown, ASDA’s Head of Sustainable Sourcing said: “This is a significant landmark which not only highlights the success of our local milk but also reflects the importance we place on the relationship with our dairy farmers - both large and small.”
ASDA's local milk is truly local, coming from small independent suppliers located close to both the dairies that process their milk and their local store - ensuring ASDA's local milk only comes from cattle that graze on nearby farms.
Notes for Editors
ASDA local milk
ASDA has been buying from local milk suppliers for more than five years, the first of which was Trewithen Farm in May 2002.
ASDA currently stocks 73 local milk lines in 207 stores across the UK.
ASDA has sold 25.5 million litres since the first listing of local milk.
Standard ASDA brand milk
In May 2004 ASDA appointed Arla Foods to become its sole supplier of fresh, liquid milk. As part of the arrangement, all ASDA's raw milk is supplied by ASDA Dairylink members, a dedicated group of around 550 producers within Arla Foods Milk Partnership.
The innovative scheme ensures that each of the 550 participating Dairylink farmers is paid a 1p per litre premium for supplying the supermarket with fresh milk, equivalent to £8,000 more in their back pockets each year.
History of ASDA
ASDA can trace its roots back to a group of Yorkshire farmers who formed Hindell’s Dairy Farmers Ltd in the 1920s, to process and sell milk and meat. Hindell’s Dairies was extremely successful, expanding and diversifying to acquire more processing dairies, abattoirs, bakeries, shops, four managed farms and 22 rented farms. It floated in 1949 as Associated Dairies and Farm Stores Ltd.
During the 1950s and early 1960s, Associated Dairies expanded its pork butchery shops further (under the Farm Stores fascia) and also created the Craven Dairies brand for its cake shops and cafes.
One of the founders, Noel Stockdale, met and struck up an immediate rapport with the Asquith brothers (who owned Queen's Supermarkets) and so became the other co-founder of the modern day ASDA. Associated Dairies then merged with Queen’s Supermarkets to create ASDA Stores Ltd in 1965.
