Quality Milk Producers (QMP) held their 53rd AGM, yesterday at Holmfirth in Yorkshire, at the Longley Farm Dairy premises of the Dickinson family. Longley Farm is the most successful business that utilises mainly Jersey milk in a full range of dairy products, but with the concentration on cream and the by-products of cream. There were approx 20 people present, two thirds of whom were producers; disappointingly there was only one Guernsey producer present. QMP were founded by both Guernsey and Jersey producers and control the Gold Top brands on behalf of both breeds.
Mr Jim Dickinson, who now runs the Longley Farm business, welcomed the party before handing us over to his factory managers who led a very interesting tour. They were very open as to the targets and volumes of different products and of the “benefits” to the business of using high quality milk. Cottage Cheese is one of the main product lines and this utilizes skimmed milk after the cream has been separated. A vat of skimmed milk made from Jersey skim gives between 50% and 70% more cheese than the same volume of ordinary skimmed milk. Yoghurts are another major part of the business but the scale is such that relatively small batches can be made, giving great flexibility. New filling and sealing machines have just been installed too.
A feature of the factory is moving the products using only gravity, where possible! In the cold store all product arrives on a moving belt from the processing areas where the three streams of product, Cream, Cheese and Yoghurt, (travelling on 3 conveyors, one above the other), merge onto a single belt which runs along the top of the store. The different ranges are then placed on a series of long shelves made of steel rollers (which are at right angles and run across the store), before being taken off and placed on the final rolling shelf, which is again at right angles. Pallets of the various lines can then be assembled at the far end of the store before loading on to lorries for onward distribution. Everything but the incoming product is thus moved using gravity, but at the same time the product is kept in strict production order with the latest manufacture at the furthest point on the rolling shelves. Mr Dickinson senior, now retired, served as a Navy engineer during the Second World War and has a healthy distrust of reliance on “engines or motors” as a result!
The QMP AGM chaired by Steven Cavenagh took place in the afternoon and was addressed by Keith Collins of Highgrove Food Distribution. who manage the Gold Top brands into the retail trade. He told us of the success of the Gold Top Milk bar at various events and reported the comments of Martin Mills (whose company runs the bar) as to how, in his 20 years in that business, he has never had such positive feedback as to the quality being superior to any other milk product.
QMP have also led the “fight” to prevent the Jersey Island Milk Marketing Board from making a claim under European Product of Origin regulations, to be the only source of “Jersey butter”. It seems that if they were to succeed then it would inevitably extend to all Jersey milk derived products. Ironically, all butter from Jersey Island at present that is exported, is sold through Marks & Spencer and is packed in an M&S wrapper. DEFRA are currently considering the arguments and will have to make a recommendation to Brussels shortly.
Mr Jim Dickinson then gave a short thought-provoking talk to the meeting on his views as to the future for Jersey and Guernsey milk products. He added some interesting information regarding his experiences on running dairy factories in Estonia (recently sold) and Australia, where he worked closely with the A2 marketeers. They are producing A2 powder which is selling on to the Far Eastern markets where it is enjoying an increasing market share.
A very interesting day, at what maybe a crucial time for the Guernsey and Jersey milk producers, but sadly the hierarchy of the Guernsey Cattle Society were absent …