Talking Greek Yogurt with Dalawang Milkmen
Frenchmen David Bastable and Thibault Chavlon Demersay sell probiotics that are pro-environment and pro-Pinoy
Our history books show that we were once a cow-less, refrigerator-less society and that throughout the 19th century and into the 20th, we imbibed fresh carabao’s milk sold by lecheros and lecheras (milkmen and milkmaids). These people came from what were then considered the suburban dairying neighborhoods of Caloocan, Makati, Gagalangin, Lecheros in Tondo, and Sampaloc. Without fail, they arrived in Manila between four and five in the morning and finished by eight. Except for those from Makati, there was a second round of deliveries in the afternoon that began at three and finished between five and six.
It is a happy coincidence that modern-day lecheros David Bastable and
Thibault Chavlon Demersay have set up shop in Makati. The two Frenchmen, also known as Dalawang Milkmen, are selling more than milk. They are selling quality, a brand, and a lifestyle. With the Internet on their side, David and Thibault are breathing new life into the lost tradition, leading the comeback of their kind and making it cool.
Do not listen for the tapping of footsteps, the clip-clop of horse hooves, the cling-cling of a bicycle bell, or even the electric whirr of a milk float. Do not even look for milk. Greek yogurt is the name of the game, and these Millennials are playing to win the race on motorbikes. Do expect pop and fire to prelude your deliveries.
In 2015 and 2016, David and Thibault arrived in the Philippines through their previous jobs in multinational companies. David was in marketing, while Thibault was working in the dairy sector. Soon, they heeded the call of entrepreneurship, and came up with a brand that promotes locally made products, particularly, local dairy, because Thibault knew that 99 percent of the dairy needs of the country were fulfilled by importation. By then, they had picked up a few Filipino words, and also noticed the locals’ penchant for Taglish. So the name Dalawang Milkmen is not just a catchy play of words meant to grab the market, it’s their way of embracing our culture.
“Why Greek yogurt? Because it’s good! Filipinos like what’s really flavorful. Since it’s a bit thicker, it has more flavor. We kind of thought that it was the proper product for Filipinos. Plus it’s something original, not the standardized version of yogurt,” Thibault says.
They currently have five “flavors”— unsweetened, sweetened, with strawberry jam, with raspberry jam, and with mango jam. The ones with no jam cost R80, while the ones with jam cost
R85. David grew up eating yogurt with homemade jam made by his mother, hence the products. Like the yogurt, the jams that have no artificial additives are made in the Philippines.
“The first criterion is it should be local. We do tasting sessions and trials. We do an organoleptic analysis to figure out what is good in terms of taste. We perform shelf life analysis to see how the product evolves in time, how it is aesthetically speaking as well. Is the process of production clean? That matters to us,” Thibault says.
The yogurt is sold in 150-gram glass jars, and for a minimum order of three, can be delivered to Makati, BGC, and Mandaluyong, but only every Tuesday. On weekends, you can find them at Greenfield Saturday Market, Salcedo Saturday Market, and Legazpi Sunday Market.
“We just work on a pre-order basis. Production is complicated to manage, and we don’t want to build stock. As there is a short shelf life, we don’t want to waste any product,” David explains. Yogurt is a sensitive product that needs to be maintained in a chiller. Dalawang Milkmen puts a 10-day shelf life on theirs, stressing its importance because of the live good bacteria or probiotics.
“So in order to have zero waste, you order online, and we deliver to you a few days later. It’s not instant delivery for now. We deliver on Tuesday, and you have until the previous Saturday to order. It’s so sad to have yogurt that you have to throw away. We’d rather work on pre-orders knowing they’re going to be sold,” he continues.
Not only are milkmen making a comeback, but so are glass bottles and jars, buoyed by growing fears about the impact of plastic on the environment. A bit of business back from the supermarket is a win for them and apparently for Mother Earth, too. Besides, plastic can modify the composition of food, giving it an aftertaste, while glass has no impact.
“For the packaging, we have glass jars. They are endlessly recyclable. There is a big problem with plastic pollution and, as brand owners, we didn’t want our product to worsen the current situation. People bring back the jars, and we collect more than 40 percent of what we sell,” Thibault says.
“If you order online, on the last page you can see ‘number of jars to be returned.’ If you return one jar with the lid, you get a R5 discount on your purchase. The rider is going to give you your yogurt, and if you have your jars, you can give them back to him, and he comes here. I have around 6,000 jars collected,” David explains further.
More flavors are in the works, but also a wider product range. Maybe Dalawang Milkmen will finally sell milk— cow, carabao, nut, soy, etc.—the sky is the limit, as long as they’re local. In terms of distribution channels, they want to expand little by little, as much as production can allow, and find a good equilibrium with sales. Later on, their goal is to enter retail and, eventually, to enter food service, eyeing hotels, restaurants, and catering companies.
“As of now, our product is outsourced. So one thing I want to tell you regarding our brand is that we really try to make sure that everybody earns a fair share of the global margin that is generated. Fair trade is important to us. From the farmer who sells his milk to the processor who processes the yogurt, to the packaging manufacturer… We try to make sure everybody has a fair share. We work with small businesses, especially the farmers—their industry is really controversial. I come from France where farmers don’t make a good living. We’re trying not to reproduce the same stuff,” Thibault says.
I’m no lechera, but using milk lingo— that’s an amazing starter culture, and like good bacteria, here’s hoping it spreads.
The two Frenchmen, also known as Dalawang Milkmen, are selling more than milk. They are selling quality, a brand, and a lifestyle.