8 Apr 2019

Home delivery: milk in glass bottles

From Nine To Noon, 9:42 am on 8 April 2019

Full cream milk in glass bottles can be delivered to your doorstep, just like the old days.

The first to get the service are those from Wellington and the Wairarapa, although as more and more people latch on to the service, the area expands.

No caption

Photo: Pixabay

While most people are in bed, Steve Olds begins his workday. At midnight, he sets off to do milk deliveries, finishing up before the 9-5ers awake.

Clinking bottles in crates in the back of a truck are taken right to the doorstep (or letterbox) of those who have ordered - ready in time for a morning coffee.

Deliveries are done once a week per suburb at this stage, but demand is going through the roof, says Olds.

“From last week to this week we’ve probably tripled in the orders and we’re getting a lot of great feedback - people are enjoying full milk and quality meat.

“People were asking for milk in glass bottles and everyone was saying it couldn’t be done and I thought, I can’t see why it can’t be done, I’ll give it a go.”

Olds and his partner Pip run Eketahuna Country Meats and the fresh milk is supplied by a friend of theirs.

“Once you taste it you actually wonder what you have been drinking and how they can call it milk, it’s totally different.”

Without any additives, the milk is best stored at the bottom of the fridge, right at the back where it’s the coldest. It should last between a week and ten days although a colder fridge will get you 14-15 days.

So, is it expensive?

“We’re $3.80 a litre when it’s delivered at home in the glass bottle so it’s cheaper with a comparative product - premium products at the supermarket. And then we’ve got a $4.80 delivery fee but that’s free delivery if you order over $50.”

Olds will come and pick the bottle the following week and will clean it out and reuse it.

“As it gets larger we’re going to have to reinvest in a lot of infrastructure to be able to do things much more efficiently.”

If you’ve got a hankering for some fresh meat for dinner, Olds will deliver that too. Just pop a chilly bin or cooler bag outside your doorstep and it will be there waiting for you.