"Very proud and very sad": Doorstep milk deliveries stop after 94 years at Somerset dairy
Deliveries to customers from Gundenham Dairy in Wellington have now stopped after delivering milk to doorsteps since 1928
After 94 years of deliveries, the milk cart at Gundenham Dairy in Somerset has finally driven its last round to customers' houses.
Over the course of generations, the Cottrell family have tended to the land and tended to customers on their doorsteps, but now that part of the business has closed, because of a lack of staff and not enough demand.
It was during the 1930s that the first of four generations to tend the farm Tom Cottrell started selling his milk direct to households - holding a ladle and a churn, carried in the back of a pony and trap.
Things have changed a little since then - but it's these roots in the community which has cemented the farm's legacy within their community - and have reassured customers they're not going away.
Last week, bosses at the farm in Wellington circulated a letter to its customers, saying 'with great regret', and because of 'falling customer numbers', mixed with 'the difficulty of recruiting staff', their doorstep delivery service was to end - but deliveries to wholesale and retail outlets were to keep going.
At their peak of going door-to-door, the farm had around 5,000 customers - today, that's around 1,500.
It's not just about a numbers game - as the farm are having to make the difficult decision to lose staff, too - one of those is a member who's been on the job for 33 years... another 19. For just those two alone - of which there are more - that's over half a century of experience being lost, because of difficulties being faced by the farm in 2022.
John Cottrell is Gundenham's partner and manager - and one of a line of his family who've managed the business over the years.
Reflecting on their statement, he said: "It's a mix of reasons - a lack of demand and not having enough staff. Over the past few months, it's been really difficult to offer our current staff the holiday and time off they they deserve.
"These are folks who have early starts, go out in all sorts of weather conditions... throughout the past 94 years, our staff have been phenomenal.
"When Covid started, we had a real boost in sales - and that was good. But once that had ended, any outlet selling goods then started delivering, In my opinion, too, the Furlough Scheme didn't help, because I think it was too long, and too much money paid. A lot of people simply didn't want to come back to work.
"I know loads of businesses around here who now simply can't get staff - and there's crops rotting in the fields because they can't get the staff to pick it.
"Farming is a way of life, it's a real tough life, and people really don't appreciate where their food comes from.
"But, I'm very proud of what we've done over the years - immensely proud in fact. I'm proud of our family, and our staff - who have simply been phenomenal.
"To our customers, without your custom we would not have a business now - so to everyone who's supported us over the years, thank you. And it's a real shame that this part of the business is no longer viable."
The last set of deliveries happened over the weekend - on Saturday morning.
They're keeping their retail rounds, and the business certainly isn't closing - but after 94 years, the community will need to get used to not having their doorstep rounds from Gundenham Dairy any more.