The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Canterbury dairy farmer home delivers raw A2 milk

Otago Daily Times
16 Jun, 2020 10:15 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Mark Williams, wife Kelsey and children Addison and Reeve admire Mark's favourite A2 milker, 111. Photo / Supplied

Mark Williams, wife Kelsey and children Addison and Reeve admire Mark's favourite A2 milker, 111. Photo / Supplied

Delivered in recyclable glass bottles direct to the door, it's the fresh unpasteurised A2 milk of Aylesbury Creamery, a dairy farm near Burnham.

Farm owner Mark Williams said the increase in customers travelling from Mid Canterbury had warranted his decision to home deliver into the district.

The milk was popular for its health benefits including helping people dealing with eczema.

The company already delivers to clients in Christchurch and the surrounding areas.

He said over lockdown "we were delivering to a lot of customers in town over that time ... we started doing eggs as well, so they didn't have to go out to the supermarket as much."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

There were already more than 20 customers in the Mid Canterbury district, so he was keen to tap into the opportunity.

There was no-one else selling it in the district, and the benefits were widespread, he said.

The non-pasteurised milk had all the good things needed by people to help the body process it. It was especially useful to people who were thought to be lactose intolerant.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"So many people come in to us and try our milk and ... can drink it and never feel sick ... there's a heap of people like that."

The A2 milk has a thicken protein stream, Williams said.

"If you don't have raw milk, then buy A2 milk because it's a better protein ... you'll notice the difference."

Williams is planning for his full commercial herd of 350 to be all A2 in the next three years.

Discover more

Southland milk business expands offering

13 May 04:10 AM

Zero bobby calves for South Canterbury farming couple

20 May 06:00 PM

Expos aim to attract people to the agricultural sector

09 Jun 10:00 PM

Another positive Global Dairy Trade event

17 Jun 01:05 AM

His raw milk herd, with 40 cows, is selected by firstly being A2 and secondly having a nice temperament. The hygiene regime is very strict and the cows, who are milked once a day, have more cream and produce about 600 litres.

The raw milk herd is kept separate from the commercial herd used to supply Fonterra and is milked first on a 40-a-side herringbone.

The cows are also tested every 10 days as part of an auditing process.

A vending machine at the farm dairy shed gives direct access to fresh raw milk, straight from the vat. Photo / Supplied
A vending machine at the farm dairy shed gives direct access to fresh raw milk, straight from the vat. Photo / Supplied

"We wash every cow, we wash every udder when we milk them, we teat spray them, we dry them with a sanitised wipe and then we put the cups on.

"(Milk) still goes through a filter and I've never struck anything (undesirable in the milk). The system works," he said.

Williams and wife Kelsey converted the farm eight years ago from a sheep and goat farm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Prior to taking up dairy cups, the couple had water bottling operation Spring Fresh in Tai Tapu. The chance to sell came up and led them to dairying.

"I talk to every customer normally. We want people to understand raw milk. Some people are more interested in the glass (recycling) side of it ... we pick up the empties, sterilise and reuse."

There is also a farm vending machine, with glass bottles available for purchase or bring your own, at the Aylesbury dairy shed, at 862 Aylesbury Road, Burnham for people to access. It's a cash machine.

The milk is snapped chilled, put in a vat and is best kept cold.

"Nothing is done to it."

The vending means "there is no carting, so no margin for error," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim
The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

Jock Davies was remembered for his infectious humour, caring nature and great strength.

14 Jul 04:21 AM
City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land
The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

14 Jul 03:16 AM
The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath
The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath

14 Jul 02:16 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP