Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some questions that we get asked a lot. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please feel free to get in touch with us – we will be more than happy to help and answer any other questions you have!
What is pasteurised milk?
Pasteurised milk is heated and cooled again very quickly to remove any harmful bacteria that may be in milk. All milk from shops is pasteurised, there are some milk vending machines that sell raw milk. Also most shop bought milk is homogenised, this is to break down the cream in the milk and mix it evenly to stop the cream rising to the top and make the milk keep longer, not settle and stays whiter.
How long does it take to get the milk from the cow to the vending machines?
Very quickly! The cows will be milked, the milk will be loaded straight into the pasteuriser, the pasteurising process takes about 4 hours and then the milk will be transported down to the vending machines for you to enjoy! Can’t get much fresher than that! Just to compare; shop bought milk can take up to 10 days to get from farm to shop and can sit on farm for up 48 hours before being picked up to be processed.
Are bottles provided?
Bottles are available to buy in a vending machine next to the milk machine. They are sterilised and ready to fill straight away, after this the bottle is yours to keep, clean and reuse again and again, as many times as you want! A glass bottle is also very environmentally friendly compared to the plastic bottles most shop bought milk is supplied in.
Do cows get a break from being milked?
Every year the cows get 60 days off before calving, it’s called a dry period, similar to maternity leave for us. I like to call it their summer holiday as ours calf between end of July and end of September, and so tend to have May and June off enjoying the beautiful North Devon sunshine!
Are there antibiotics in the Milk?
Absolutely not. In the unlikely instance that a cow does need antibiotics the milk is separated for a withdrawal period dictated by the strength and type of antibiotic. The milk is then tested to ensure its clear of antibiotics, only when the milk is 100% clear does it go back to be processed with the rest.
