Copper milk can-maker in demand after TV appearance
SIX fresh orders were waiting for Guernsey’s last operating copper milk can maker yesterday morning, after featuring on national television the night before.
Trevor Rogers-Davis, who has been in the industry for more than 30 years, spent 10 hours filming with Channel 5 TV crew for just a short appearance on screen, but his five minutes of fame on Wednesday night has already boosted sales.
Over the years, Mr Rogers-Davis has featured in the local media, but never national.
‘It’s been great this morning, my email hasn’t stopped going off and I’ve already had an increase in sales,’ he said.
‘It’s mainly the traditional Guernsey copper milk cans, but I also do jewellery, trophies and restoration and cleaning projects too.’
The traditional copper milk can has been made for over 1,000 years and arrived in the island from Normandy with the original cattle. Milkmen would deliver milk in a three-gallon can and decant the milk into a household’s smaller can, which would go on the table.
They are now generally used for decorative purposes.
‘There is still so much demand for them but the copper materials have doubled in price, so I have to sell them at a price where I can still make a profit,’ said Mr Rogers-Davis.
‘Declining tourism is a problem, we used to have 20,000 tourists a week and now we have 2,000, but I’m hoping that the TV show really gives Guernsey tourism a boost.’
Recently, members of the World Guernsey Cattle Federation from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the US visited the island following the organisation’s conference in Salisbury. Many of them left the island with a traditional Guernsey copper milk can to go with their traditional Guernsey cows.
Mr Rogers-Davis said that the federation members had wiped him clear of stock and he even had to make some orders to ship abroad for them.
There are 15 different sizes of milk can and a three-pint size takes about 10 hours to make.
With no apprentice, Mr Rogers-Davis has trained his sons in the trade, but said that it was more of a hobby for them.
The next episode will be broadcast at 8pm on Wednesday on Channel 5 and will feature the islands’ Liberation Day events.
