Milk

What's special about essential Waitrose milk?

All Waitrose milk is produced by a group of dedicated farmers, who supply their milk exclusively for us and who understand and share our values. We work closely with our farmers to deliver the highest standards of milk quality and ensure best practice in animal health and welfare. Our farmers also commit to adopting sustainable farming methods that will help safeguard the environment and encourage local wildlife to flourish on their farms.

Does essential Waitrose mean better milk?

Yes. Our quality standards are the most rigorous in the dairy industry, which in turn makes Waitrose milk consistently the best you can buy. We work very closely with our Waitrose dairy farmers and can trace every pint back to the farm that produced it.

How does Waitrose ensure animal welfare standards?

Waitrose farmers are committed to the animal welfare principles known as the Five Freedoms. The Five Freedoms form the core of our animal welfare standards - freedom from hunger and thirst, discomfort and pain, injury and disease, freedom to express normal behaviour, and freedom from fear and distress.

Our dairy cows have access to grazing fresh grass in the fine weather and are sheltered in comfortable airy barns with plenty of room to lie and turn in comfort when the weather is inclement. The cows like to loaf about in groups and lie on fresh bedding - with lots of readily available food and water.

Our dairy farmers produce a comprehensive herd health plan in conjunction with their farm vet. This is continually monitored to ensure that the dairy cows are kept healthy and happy.

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Does Waitrose know all the farmers?

Yes we do, and we meet them regularly, along with our milk processor, Dairy Crest. Many of our farmers have been supplying milk to Waitrose for over 10 years. This group includes our own dairy farm on the Leckford Estate in Hampshire. Having this kind of long-term relationship means we can all plan for the future, with the aim of continually improving what we do over time.

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How do Waitrose dairy farmers help protect wildlife and the countryside?

Waitrose offer farmers a long-term commitment and fair prices, which enable them to invest in sustainable farming methods that work in harmony with the environment. For example, each dairy farm dedicates a minimum of 10% of its farm area to wildlife habitat and has an individual action plan to protect and enhance the wildlife species on their farm. This is produced in conjunction with independent specialist wildlife advisors. Read more about WildCare, our commitment to wildlife.

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Does all this cost more?

Yes, but the extra cost isn’t passed on to you. essential Waitrose milk is competitively priced. Even though we pay a significant premium to the farmers for the additional work needed to achieve and maintain our high standards and to allow them to re-invest in their farms, this is not passed on to our customers.

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What other Waitrose milk lines exist?

Waitrose Organic milk
Our organic milk comes from a dedicated group of dairy farmers in Somerset and is bottled at the Coombe Farm dairy. It’s produced and bottled to Soil Association standards and, like essential Waitrose milk, we can trace every pint right back to the farm.

Waitrose goat's milk
Waitrose goat’s milk is a creamy alternative to cow’s milk, with a distinctive flavour. Our goat’s milk comes from Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire and is bottled at the Leckford Estate dairy.

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Milk facts

Is Waitrose milk homogenised?
Essential Waitrose milk is homogenised, this ensures the cream is evenly distributed throughout the milk. We also offer a two-pint ‘Traditional Milk’ from our own Leckford Estate which is produced to the same high standards but is unhomogenised so that the cream rises to the top. Our Organic Milk in also unhomogenised. Waitrose is the only supermarket to still offer the customer this choice.

Can I freeze milk?
Yes, but if freezing four or six pint containers, we recommend you pour a little out first, as the milk will expand when it freezes

What’s the difference between whole, semi and skimmed milk?
The difference is the fat content, which vary as follows:

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Fat free
Typically 0.1% fat

          Low fat
          Typically 1.7% fat

Whole milk
Typically 3.5% fat

How much calcium is there in milk?
Cows milk contains on average 122 mg calcium per 100ml.

What other vitamins and minerals are there in milk?
The following vitamins and minerals are found in milk:

Vitamins:

• Fat soluble vitamins – A, D, E & K
• Water soluble vitamins – C, broad range of B vitamins including B6 and folic acid.

Minerals:

• Calcium
• Phosphorous
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Iodine

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