Milk

[TheShend]

In the past month I've gone back to having milk delivered, although to be fair the last time a milkman or milkwoman visited me was when I was in small shorts living with me mam. I can't remember at what point we stopped having it delivered or why?

Anyway, I was partly motivated by getting sick of large 4pt plastic containers that took up room, would need recycling and also wanting to reduce the money that goes to the nearby Tesco. Having the empty glass bottle taken away from the door is a lot more convenient plus it's a very small local dairy, so local economy ftw.

It's 55p per pint, which is dearer than Tesco but I'm happy to pay it as it goes straight to he farm, although I've yet to pay anything, the old couple who deliver just mentioned they'll let us know when it's time to be paying something!. I get 2pts delivered Monday and 2 on Thursday. Although you do have to think a little about how you want it spread across the week based on consumption, personally I may need change it to have an extra pint delivered on Thursday. I like me porridge

I'd also read a piece in Private Eye about a large plan to build 8000+ cow shed come US style super dairy. The Guardian has a piece on it here too. What PE pointed out that the discount retailers like Lidl, Aldi etc. have seen a doubling in their share of the milk market, which to larger places like Tesco et all is an issue because Milk is on of the key items peoiple walk through your door for and thus the opportuniy for them to pick up better profit-margined items on their way through. To counter-act that trend, they may reduce their milk prices which threatens future arragnements with some farmers about paying a higher and fair price so the dairy actually makes a quid somewhere rather than operate at break-even or even loss.

So something like that Super Dairy would reduce milk prices and likely put the smaller to medium dairies out of business and for what? Saving 10p everytime you buy milk?

Folks thoughts?

I also enjoy the artful action of opening a bottle milk to ensure the foil top sits back on top snugly. I caught my Mrs tearing a small whole in the foil top with which to dispense her milk into a brew, I was nothing short of disgusted and banned her from ever opening future milk bottles.

[rocksteady]

I like putting my palm on top of the foil, and twisting it round so that the top comes off without indenting it. Then I could have a bit, put it back on and BLOW PEOPLES MINDS.

[Scribblor]

Milk's shit in coffee.

[Lo32]

We always had milk delivered until we moved back in February, just never bothered setting up with a new milkman, think we were paying about 55p a pint as well, we also used to get the fresh apple and orange juice in the pint bottles

[Rudi von Starnberg]

Milk is ace.

I noticed when I was in France that even the biggest hypermarkets rarely had any fresh milk. It was all UHT and long-life stuff, aisle upon aisle of it, while fresh milk was relegated to a yard of shelving or even dumped ignominiously in a chiller bin at the end of an aisle. I was astonished. Is this a thing all over France, or just in Normandy?

[mushashi]

I remember some news report that mentioned that Europeans mainly use UHT milk for cooking purposes, it's more popular than fresh milk in a fair number of European countries, it's the only milk I drink these days (as it's more practical than fresh, shame about the recycling problem, which does pain me somewhat )

[Laine]

Doesn't UHT milk taste disgusting though? The stuff in those little pots for your tea in place of milk in hotel rooms, ugh, makes me want to puke. Just buy real milk in small amounts if you want to drink it.

[mushashi]

I can't stand milk on its own, I use it for cereal and tea, tastes about the same as the fresh stuff (without the extremely short shelf life).

[AirMax]

I would absolutely love to get fresh milk delivered as i drink alot of it, but i live in a flat in the city centre so its not really feasible at the minute.

[Tunisia]

What I don't like about the idea of getting milk delivered is that it feels like you have a very limited supply- 'these bottles have to last until monday' sort of thing. I drink more milk than any other drink, and would much rather just be able to have as much as I want. I always feel a bit embarrassed having a glass of milk at a friend's house if they get it delivered because it seems to make a significant dent in their supplies. Obviously you can go and buy some more if you run out, but you could do that to start off with and not bother getting it delivered. And obviously you could order more, but storage would be an issue as glass bottles are less space-effective, and if you end up with surplus by the time the next batch comes it's effectively wasted unless you down the last bottle or so just for the hell of it. You have to go shopping and buy a load of other shit anyway, I just don't see why you'd want to have milk delivered.

[Rudi von Starnberg]

Doesn't UHT milk taste disgusting though? The stuff in those little pots for your tea in place of milk in hotel rooms, ugh, makes me want to puke. Just buy real milk in small amounts if you want to drink it.

Yes, it's vile. I couldn't believe that it was so omnipresent in France.

[phresh]

I just don't see why you'd want to have milk delivered.

Quite simply, taste of fresh bottled milk>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>supermarket milk. It's more expensive and you do tend to get a bit more wastage as it doesn't stay as fresh for long but for drinking (straight) and cereals it's a no contest.

[Scribblor]

Yes, it's vile. I couldn't believe that it was so omnipresent in France.

Weirdly, though they love their UHT milk, they consider pasteurising cheese to be a hanging offence.

[Raff]

During my year living in France I was struck by how different their fresh supermarket milk is compared with ours (They mostly use UHT of course). It would change in taste within a day of being opened in the fridge, and taste off within 3 days. Over here I buy milk about once a week and it hardly degrades at all.

[memories]

Quite simply, taste of fresh bottled milk>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>supermarket milk. It's more expensive and you do tend to get a bit more wastage as it doesn't stay as fresh for long but for drinking (straight) and cereals it's a no contest.

That is the reason right there. I have been moaning to the wife that I haven't had a pint off milk from a glass bottles in aaaaaages.

You just can't beat the taste of ice cold milk straight from a bottle, greatest soft drink in the world.

There was a bit about that superdairy on the channel 4 programme "Food" last week with Jay Rayner (sp?) its going to be a massive place. I imagine its on 4OD.

They mentioned how the dairy farmer was only getting something like 22p per litre of milk from the supoermarkets, its amazing that any of them stay in business really.

I think its Tesco at the minute that are selling 2 x 2 litres of milk for £2, a few months ago is was 2 x 2 litres for £3, its so cheap that its ridiculous.

[Sirloin]

Milk is ace.

I noticed when I was in France that even the biggest hypermarkets rarely had any fresh milk. It was all UHT and long-life stuff, aisle upon aisle of it, while fresh milk was relegated to a yard of shelving or even dumped ignominiously in a chiller bin at the end of an aisle. I was astonished. Is this a thing all over France, or just in Normandy?

Last time I was in France we stayed at a cottage in Normandy which we hired off the local farmer. He used to bring us bottles of still warm milk fresh from his cows every morning. Never tasted better milk that that. It was incredibly creamy.

[Chosty]

Milk's shit in coffee.

Weirdly, though they love their UHT milk, they consider pasteurising cheese to be a hanging offence.

Scribblor - you come out with some nonsense, then follow it up an astute observation. You nutter!

I used to go to France every year for a month to see my relatives. Breakfast with sterilised milk was a horrible affair, until I realised that with plenty of fresh baguettes, apricot jam, criossants and pain au chocolat, who needed cereal?

[Rebs]

I love all milk and dairy stuff and I totally love the taste of UHT (which I buy coz I live in the sticks) and even more so, sterilised!

Rice pudding, custard, anything dairy gets my vote and I would love to be able to buy from a milk round. It's all sheep here though here in my neck of the Welsh woods.

[NecroMorrius]

I've been thinking about getting mine delivered, or at least finding somewhere locally that isn't Tesco to buy it from.

[TheShend]

Do you know, I've still not had a bill for all the milk I've been getting delivered

I wonder if they're saving it for Xmas

[fragglerock]

UHT == Ultra Horrid Taste

[NecroMorrius]

Waitrose Duchy originals full fat milk is pretty awesome.

I'm not allowed it of course because I'm shedding some el-bees, but it's awesome nonetheless.

[TheShend]

The bill finally arrived!

£25 for 50 pints delivered which works out at 50p per pint.

Can't argue with that.

[Scribblor]

Scribblor - you come out with some nonsense, then follow it up an astute observation. You nutter!

It's not nonsense! It's true! (Though massively unpopular, I see.)

Milk on its own is yummy, but it makes coffee go... I don't know how to describe it properly. Icky. Creamy, but in a really nauseating way. Slimy. Tainted. Though frappuchinos and the like are delicious. Hmm. So it's not coffee per se that makes milk taste foul to me. It's hot coffee. Strange.

[TheShend]

Ooooh do you know, I had a pint of whole milk for the Xmas period and by christ, it was nectar itself. I'm a semi-skimmed chap normally, but the taste, MWAH.

I had a fierce hangover New Year's Day and only that would do to soothe me.