Sark milk is a big hit with vending machine selling out

The island, which has around 500 residents, has not had milking cows for more than four years after the previous dairy owner, Chris Nightingale, decided to close it down in 2017 after 30 years of business.

Suffolk couple Jason and Katharine Salisbury were chosen from 80 prospective farmers to take on the opportunity and are in the final stages of transporting a total of 14 cows from Guernsey to Sark.

Milk production began on Wednesday, after a deep clean of the facility was completed, and 50 to 75 litres of milk have been sold through the vending machine each day.

‘On Sunday night we ran out so I had to process more,’ he said. ‘I wasn’t expecting to sell out.

Mr Salisbury has been farming for 35 years and has taken care of Guernsey cows since 2004.

‘Everyone has been so encouraging and supportive.’

The milk is not yet being sold anywhere else on the island but the dairy will continue to progress the business over the future.

‘We will be making cream and cheese eventually,’ he said.

The dairy is open to the public 24 hours a day and islanders are able to visit free of charge.

‘At the end of the day people will leave the beach and walk past then come in to have a look.

‘There’s been people from Guernsey coming too, so there are winners all round,’ he said.

The cows have been transported in groups over the last few weeks and the final ones will arrive on Friday. ‘I’m just about to move them to a different field so they’ve got more space to graze,’ said Mr Salisbury.

‘They’ve been lying down a lot, which they do when they’re happy. Their characters have started to come out now.’

. The new dairy featured recently in Countryfile magazine.