Devon based dairy builds nationally recognised brand

Today, the focus remains on the soil as the starting point for herd health.

Leys are sown with complex deep rooting herbal mixes and high protein plants including lucerne and chicory in addition to red and white clover. The cows also get to eat any ‘grade out’ vegetables from the box scheme that does not hit the mark for customer quality, broccoli being a particular favourite of theirs.

The herd has evolved too, initially with those first Ayrshires crossed with Dairy Shorthorns, to see if the herd’s productivity could be further improved, and since via further cross-breeding which has seen the Watsons introduce breeds including Montbeliarde, Normande, Swiss Browns and Swedish Reds.

In a typical year, cows spend four months indoors in a purpose- built barn where they are fed on
90 per cent homegrown grass, hay and silage. A tailored ration of organic concentrate is fed to each cow at milking, in the farm’s 24/48 herringbone parlour.

Up until recently the herd was autumn calved, but the farm is currently moving to spring and autumn calving system, with a view to providing more consistent milk volumes for the dairy.

All replacements are bred on the farm using sexed semen, while a beef bull is used on 25 per cent of the herd and beef-bred calves reared as store cattle.

All of this contributes to milk production with a strong reputation, which has played its part in building a thriving customer base for their own Riverford Organic Dairy branded products, beginning with bottled milk in 1998.

The business has since grown significantly and products are now retailed nationally in high end London-based retailers, including Whole Foods Market and Fortnum and Mason, as well as through the Riverford vegetable box scheme and via local retailers in the form of small shops, cafes and delis.

When it comes to processing the milk, it is only gently pasteurised and is left unhomogenised so whole milk comes with a thick slick of cream. The business has built on its popularity by developing a range of potted dairy products with an emphasis on traditional methods of production.

Clotted cream, mascarpone, crème fraîche, yoghurt, cottage cheese and curd cheese are all made in the on-site dairy production facility, with a team of 15 led by managing director Fiona Gibson, who has been with the business for six years.

“We applied those same values of a natural approach to farming to creating our dairy products,” says Fiona.

“We knew that using traditional methods and essentially not messing with what was already an excellent product was what our customers came to us for.”

The dairy’s clotted cream, for example, is left to set overnight and then scalded to create a natural crust, the way it would have been in a farmhouse kitchen 100 years ago. Butter is traditionally churned and hand packed into rolled foils, while mascarpone is made using double cream and pure organic lemon juice.

“Nothing is rushed in production,” Fiona says. Using traditional farmhouse methods, slow cooking and allowing time to let flavours develop ensures the products are unspoilt and taste amazing.”