Food Origins | Episode 1: Milk – behind the scenes on a dairy farm

In the first episode of our Food Origins series, we head to Cumbria to explore the realities of modern dairy farming – meeting farmer Charlotte Ashley to uncover the story behind one of Britain’s most essential everyday staples: milk.

At Schöffel Country, storytelling sits at the heart of what we do. Through The Ruralist, our films, and our partnerships with people who live and work in the countryside, we aim to celebrate the character, craft and commitment that shape country life.

Our new Food Origins series on YouTube builds on that ethos, offering an honest, considered look at where our food comes from. After all, how many of us reach for everyday staples on the shop shelves with little or no thought for how it got there? Do we take it for granted?

Close-up of a cow with a yellow ear tag in a barn setting

Do you know how much milk a dairy cow can produce in a day?

The aim of our Food Origins series is simple: we want to help reconnect people with where their food comes from. To do this – with the help of friend of the brand and fifth-generation farmer Rebecca Wilson – we’ll be visiting several producers throughout the year to spend time with those for whom food production is a livelihood.

From traditional practices to modern innovation, highs and lows, challenges and opportunities, we’ll share honest insights from behind the scenes of various sectors and industries. We will, no doubt, uncover surprising facts about foods that challenge public perception, too, while learning about what we can all do to support British food producers. No, we won’t shy away from the realities facing farmers today – but it won’t all be doom and gloom, either.

Close-up of a mechanical device with a transparent container and white hoses.

Fresh milk, straight from a cow, being pumped into an on-farm tank ready for collection.

First up: Milk...

It's a staple in 98% of British households. We drink more than 6 billion litres of it every year (and that's before we think about cheese, butter and other products). The UK has approximately 7,000 dairy farms, home to around 1.8 million cows and producing 14 billion litres of milk a year. Behind every drop is a story.

But how is milk produced? How are dairy cows milked? How much milk can one cow produce in a day? How often are dairy cows milked? How does the milk from one type of cow differ to that from another?

Espresso being poured into a white cup from an espresso machine.

In Britain we drink more than 6 billion litres of milk a year – it’s a key part of so many everyday products.

Join us in Cumbria where we spend time with dairy farmer Charlotte Ashley. Set against the backdrop of the Eden Valley, Charlotte’s farm offers a compelling introduction to modern British dairy farming.

Quick to point out that circumstances and processes differ from farm to farm, Charlotte – who, by her own admission, is a relative newcomer to dairy farming – talks us through the premium food type produced by her Jersey cows, what a day in her life looks like, how innovative technology is changing farming, and more as we gradually tick off the questions above...