New flavours give sheep milk a twist
PERSUADING customers to try sheep milk products can be a challenge for producers venturing into this niche market.
But Anglesey sheep farmer Huw Jones has a trick up his sleeve.
He’s just released a strawberry version of his ewe’s milk to go with the chocolate flavour he launched earlier this year,
Both are sold under the Llaeth Medra Milk label, and Huw hopes they will apeal to sportspeople and health-conscious customers.
“There is a growing global market for sheep milk, especially with people looking into different types of milk alternatives,” he said.
“Sheep milk is high in vitamins, as well as iron, zinc and essential amino acids, and it has a high calcium, protein, and energy content. As the fat globules are smaller than in those of cow’s milk, it can also be easier to digest, so is suitable for people who cannot tolerate cow’s milk.”
Huw established a dairy sheep flock at Ty’n Hen Newydd, near Llanerchymedd, two years ago.
For this he secured a £12,000 loan to buy sheep and a mobile milking parlour, the latter imported from Greece. He has since doubled his initial 50 Lacuane x East Friesian ewes and by next year he hopes to be milking 200 ewes.
Huw set up the business because his family’s 100-acre sheep and beef farm wasn’t big enough to support both him and his parents.
The Aberystwyth University agri graduate targeted a venture in an underdeveloped market that needed relatively small start-up costs.
An early customer was Tregarth cheesemaker Cosyn Cymru, but for his own enterprise he choose to develop flavoured milk drinks at Llangefni’s Food Technology Centre. Help for this came from Cywain, the Welsh food and drink initiative, which advised on branding, marketing and pricing.
Having launched Llaeth Medra Milk, Huw has seen his products taken up by a growing number of outlets and distributors, including Llanrwst’s Blas ar Fwyd.
Huw hopes the milk’s creamy texture will attract cafes and coffee shops too.
He added: “Eventually I hope to move production on to the farm. I’m working with other sheep milk producers too, so that there will be a year-round supply of milk.”
Huw was inspired to take up milking sheep following a Farming Connect exchange programme to France in 2019. Last year he joined an Agrisgôp group with other sheep milk producers, which in turn led to his new venture.
Nerys Davies, Cywain development manager, said Llaeth Medra’s flavoured milk range was an “exciting product”.
“Ewe’s milk is considered a superfood by some people,” she said. “I’m sure the strawberry and chocolate flavours will tempt those who want to try something new.”
Globally, the sheep milk market is worth £23bn. It is used to make various high-value products from cheese to powdered infant formula milk.
The Welsh Government is currently exploring the feasibility of establishing and promoting a dairy sheep industry in Wales.