LOCAL dairy GP Broadsmith & Son is a real family affair spanning four generations of supplying milk to the Lymm community since 1932.
Based at Pool Farm in Statham, Lymm, the dairy was started by in 1932 by ‘R B Broadsmith’ with a small herd of cows at Manor Farm, Lymm and delivered milk to doorsteps in Statham on his bicycle and by horse and cart.
His son ‘G P Broadsmith’ (known as ‘Peter’) then took over the business which is now run by his son Ray.
Most of their cows have been born and bred on the farm and you can read stories about some of their favourites which are printed on the side of their glass milk bottles.
Mr Broadsmith said: “We take good care of our free range dairy herd, the majority of which are British Friesian, Shorthorn and Ayrshire cattle. On our facebook page @broadsmiths you can watch videos of the cows grazing and relaxing in the fields.
“The cows are free to roam the fields throughout spring, summer and autumn. In the winter when the fields are wet and muddy the cows are kept inside in open, spacious barns with deep bedded straw. They are milked twice daily in our milking parlour, producing fresh quality milk and cream which is then bottled in our own farm dairy.
“We deliver early in the morning to local doorsteps and businesses and offer a wider range of associated products including bread, juices and locally sourced potatoes and eggs. We are also eager to be as environmentally friendly as we can. We have an electric vehicle for deliveries and are able to help people cut back on single use plastics by delivering milk to doorsteps in glass bottles – cutting down on food miles too!
Mum Angela takes care of all the accounts/office work for the retail side of the business while his father Ray and brother, John, take care of looking after the cows, pasteurising the milk and then bottling.
Two local men Chris Harrop (who has worked for the business for 25 years) & Paul King who are the roundsmen.
Mr Broadsmith added: “Over the years things have changed very little on the whole. Technological advances mean that things can be done much more quickly – the cows are milked in an automated parlour nowadays whereas when the family business started in the 1930s they were milked by hand. Likewise, years ago the milk was raw, bottled straight from the cow, however today we have the processing equipment to pasteurise the milk and make skimmed, semi skimmed and full cream milk.
“Our values and the way we look after the cows haven’t changed though. Our cows have grazed the same fields for the past 60 years. We’re one of very few farms in the area now to milk the cows, process, bottle and deliver the milk.
“In an industry that has changed a lot, we are one of only few that still do the whole process from cow to doorstep in the traditional way. It’s funny how things have come full circle, for example the way in which people are coming to us to be able to use our traditional recyclable glass bottles and avoid single use plastics.”
For delivery enquiries please call 01925 757655 or email [email protected] or contact through facebook @broadsmiths
