10.05.09
Finding Unpasteurised Milk in the UK
Last year I posted about raw milk (i.e. unpasteurized milk) and discussed whether we should be drinking it. It provoked an interesting response, including from an American anti-raw milk lawyer.
I decided to give it a try, but have been somewhat frustrated in my search for a unpasteurised milk supplier (often it’s called “Green Top Milk” here in the UK). I did find a farm in Cheshire (H S Bourne) who would sell it on demand at my local farmers market, but I ran into a stumbling block, because the farmer in question refused to let me see his milk safety / quality test results. Whilst he could claim till he was blue in the face, that his milk was clean and good, I’d be remiss both as a consumer, and parent, if I didn’t make every effort to ascertain that for myself. Especially as the Chief Scientist of the Food Standards Agency (the main dept in England for food safety) has likened unpasteurised milk to eating raw poultry!!
So that was a no go. I of course wondered what he had to hide? I have continued to look however and have now found another farmer, this one near Hereford, who sells green top milk and this farmer was prepared to send me a copy of his test results and discuss them openly. Even more amazingly, I’ve discovered the reason this farmer does so well in the bacteria tests, is that he is an ex British Army Biological Weapons Training Officer come ice cream farmer!
So as soon as I get the chance, I’m off to Hereford to stock up on some good quality raw milk and see if the hype is all it’s cracked up to be.
Nick Longworth said,
May 11, 2009 at 2:35 am
That is cool you found that. Here in America, people flip out over stuff like that. In fact, I don’t think it is legal to sell Raw Milk here. (Will have to check for sure about that)
I can tell you as a kid, I did get a chance to drink “Green Top Milk” as you call it. I never appreciated it much, but I can tell you I’d really like to drink it again.
Let us know how it goes.
Colin McNulty said,
May 11, 2009 at 9:10 pm
I think Nick, that it depends on the state you’re in. Some farms get round it by allowing you to buy a share in a cow and paying monthly maintenance for it. You then get a share of what that cow produces “for free”.
1 Month’s Paleo Diet Experiment said,
September 1, 2009 at 12:24 pm
[...] milk is poor quality, but I only buy organic milk, and have whole milk as often as not. (And raw unpasturised milk when I can get [...]
Louise said,
March 7, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Have been drinking raw milk (green top – unpasteurised) for 5 years now and it’s cured my hayfever and improved my asthma. Extra bonus is it tastes good to. I guess the supplier felt you were prying too much and would have prefered a gold old fashioned relationship based on trust.
A good site to source milk in the UK is: http://www.naturalfoodfinder.co.uk/unpasteurised-raw-milk-uk
Colin McNulty said,
March 8, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Thanks for the post Louise and it’s great that “real milk”
has helped you and thanks for the link.
Yes it would be great to simply trust people, and if it was just me, I probably would. But when it’s also my daughter’s health at stake, I up the due diligence a bit.