ONE of Britain’s lost traditions is making a comeback in Wokingham thanks to a resident’s new business venture.
Set to officially launch on November 1, Matt’s Milkround, will see locally-sourced dairy products delivered to people’s doorsteps on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Shinfield, Arborfield, Spencers Wood, Earley, Swallowfield and Farley Hill. Almost 500 people have already signed up to the project’s Facebook page.
Founded by Shinfield resident Matt Bourke, the initiative looks to promote local British farmers, sustainability and the sense of community once associated with the traditional milkman.
The milkround has been five months in the making, but Matt is excited to get started.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to it. I was interested for a long while in starting a business. I wanted it to be eco friendly, interesting and something that isn’t happening at the moment in my community.
“I looked at different ideas and options and landed on a milkround, essentially a throwback to the traditional milkman, which is something people have really responded well to.”
Matt added that the sustainability aspect has proved popular with prospective clients. Milk, yoghurt and cream bottles are set to be collected, washed and reused, while biodegradable packaging will be used for eggs and butter.
Sourced from Berkeley Farm in Swindon, the milk only has to travel 35 miles to Shinfield and is non-homogenised, meaning it is fresh and has not had any additives injected into it. The drink is described as having a slightly creamier and thicker texture compared to regular, homogenised milk.
As a father of two toddlers, Ciara and James, Matt explained that his household had always been filled with empty cartons of milk, which encouraged him to try some of the established bottled milk services. After a few instances of orders being lost in transit, Matt looked around for an independent Reading or Wokingham-based milkman but had no luck.
Initially taking to Facebook to gauge interest, Matt described the response to his idea as “overwhelming”, receiving hundreds of likes and comments. After just one week, 100 people had registered their interest; the resounding feedback was the validation he needed to put the concept into practice.
Matt said: “We’ve got a lot of interest for a business that hasn’t even started. It really shows the power of social media and word of mouth.
“For example, there was a gentleman who reached out to me on Facebook, he lives in a flat and isn’t in a position to work having suffered a serious injury. He struggles to get up and down the stairs. He has arranged to buy a bottle a week starting from the launch date, but he’s also told everyone in his flat and now other people have joined the round.
“There’s no minimum charge order, you can change your order when you like, it’s all very simple. I think people have taken to that well.”
Skimmed, semi skimmed and whole milk 750ml bottles are available for £1.50, while oat and flavoured milk costs £3. A box of six large free range eggs is £2.20, 500g of natural yoghurt is £2.50, and unsalted butter is £3.25 for 250g. A comprehensive price list is available on Matt’s Milkround’s Facebook page.
As part of the South of the M4 SDL, Shinfield has seen extensive housing development and the arrivals of thousands of families over the past few years. The Bourkes are one of the new faces on the block and Matt believes his business can go some way to helping newcomers integrate into the neighbourhood.
“It’s a great way to get to know the community, I’ve met so many people through it,” he said.
“People really want to see local businesses which think about the environment do well. Being able to follow through on that is the most rewarding element I think.”
The brand might carry Matt’s name, but he explained that getting to this point has truly been a team effort.
“I want to give a massive thanks to my wife, Nikita, for putting up with me, she’s been so supportive of the idea,” Matt explained.
“There have been times where I thought about giving up – setting up a limited company while having a full-time job was a struggle – but she’s been a saviour and encouraged me, as have my family and children.”
Those who are interested in signing up to the milkround should submit their full name, home address, email address and contact number to: mattsmilkround@gmail.com or 07341 143553.
Payments should be made via bank transfer ahead of deliveries.
For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/mattsmilkround
