A YOUNG entrepreneur has launched Donegal’s first milk bar where members of the public will be able to buy milk pasteurised on the family farm from a self-service vending machine.
It is an idea 23-year-old Shannon Porter has been toying with for many years having seen the success of similar ventures in England and the North. However, she will be just the fourth person in Ireland and the first in this area to bring the quirky idea to life.
The Porter family have farmed on their land at Lusticle, between Newtowncunningham and St Johnston, since 1990 and have about 1,000 animals including 400 dairy cows.
Shannon recently completed her studies at Harper Adams University in the UK graduating with a BSc Honours Degree in Agriculture. When she is not ambitiously setting up her own business she also works at Smyths Daleside Feeds in Ballindrait.
After mulling over the idea for a milk vending machine for some time Shannon decided to take the plunge after being encouraged by her parents and friends to make her dream come true.
She began researching milk bars in the UK and visited similar set ups across the country to pick up ideas for her own venture.
It was no mean feat with a big financial investment and a lengthy application process with the Department of Agriculture to secure a licence to be allowed to sell milk to the public.
An inspector from the Department visited the farm for a closer look at the premises, equipment and paperwork before giving Shannon the final seal of approval on September 3.
“There was a huge amount of paperwork involved,” said Shannon.
“We have constructed our very own pasteurisation room on our farmyard. This allows us to take the milk from our cows and pasteurise the milk to ensure it is safe to drink. Our milk will not be homogenised allowing our milk to taste fresh and creamy.
“The milk will be brought to a self-service milk vending machine inside our log cabin, less than 50 meters away, drastically reducing the food miles of our product.
“There will also be another self-service vending machine on site so you can purchase your own reusable glass bottle. These bottles will be 500ml and one litre in size so you have the choice.”
Milk in a supermarket is both homogenised and standardised.
“Homogenisation is the process of reducing the size of the milk fat globules and dispersing uniformly through the rest of the milk,” explained Shannon.
“Standardisation is the process of separating the milk and fat before mixing it back together in different quantities – giving you whole, semi skimmed and skimmed milk. The Milk Bar milk is not subject to either of these processes and so forms a lovely natural layer of cream on top.”
Shannon Porter who has launched her Milk Bar on her family’s farm near St Johnston.
The Milk Bar will also have flavoured milk syrups on offer allowing the public to create their own milkshakes. Some of the tried and tested flavours include strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, Rollo, bubblegum and Nutela.
“We are trying to get away from plastics and be more sustainable and eco-friendly,” added Shannon.
“There is so much potential to expand and we could make butter and yoghurts.
“My belief is that people want to see where the milk is coming from. That’s why I was adamant I wanted to have this here at home.”
She hopes the business can expand into a farm shop with local people selling eggs and honey from the site.
A big driver of the project is the desire to support local and she feels the pandemic has taught us all about the importance of supporting businesses in our area. The Milk Farm officially opened to the public on Friday and there has been a fantastic reaction. You can follow the business on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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