Ayrshires milk aims for top premium

16 March 1998

Ayrshires milk aims for top premium

THE Ayrshires milk brand is close to achieving its aim of putting the high-quality product into the same premium category as malt whisky less than two years after its launch, according to The Scotsman.

Safeway and Tesco have agreed to test the milk which is made from Scotlands native dairy cattle, in 100 selected stores in northern England and Scotland. Waitrose, which has the milk in 130 stores in the Midlands and south east England, reports a six-fold increase in sales.

Marks & Spencer has been exclusively retailing its own brand of milk from Ayrshire cows in its Scottish stores for five years.

Ayrshires milk sells for 6ppl more than standard milk. Stuart Thompson, managing director of Ayrshire Milk Marketing, expects total sales to exceed four million litres within the next year excluding M&S.

A simplified licensed processor agreement has already been formulated for a number of producer-retailers. This allows them to use the Ayrshires trademark and hopefully earn a premium from their customers.

• The Scotsman 16/03/98 page 18