Full cream milk back on breakfast tables

A customer survey carried out for the dairy showed an increase of 7% in the number of people buying red cartons since 2019.

And Guernsey Dairy managing director Andrew Tabel said it had started to develop spreadable butter, as well as a range of new premium ice cream flavours.

In the survey, 56% of islanders said they would like to see the dairy introduce a spreadable butter, while 24% would like to see a new premium ice cream offering, and 25% were interested in flavoured milk.

‘The data obtained from the survey provides us with a thorough insight into current consumer trends – not only of the high regard Guernsey Dairy products are held in but also the general views of islanders on maintaining a dairy farming industry on the island,’ said Mr Tabel.

Almost 2,400 islanders took part in the survey, which was conducted by Island Global Research.

It was the first of its kind for five years.

People were asked about their consumption of milk and alternative non-dairy products, as well as other Guernsey Dairy products versus equivalent brands.

Low fat was the most popular choice of milk, with 69% of respondents saying they consumed it more than other types of milk, a figure which has remained relatively stable since 2019.

However, full cream milk saw a notable rise in popularity, from 16% to 23%.

Just over one in five respondents consumed skimmed milk most frequently. Lactose-free milk was preferred by 9% and organic milk by 3%.

Local lactose-free milk has grown in popularity since it was introduced in 2021, with 60% of households which regularly consume it choosing it over other brands.

Nine out of 10 people live in households which drink Guernsey Dairy milk, another figure almost unchanged since 2019, and only 7% of respondents drink non-Guernsey Dairy milk alternatives.

88% of people considered the quality of local milk to be ‘excellent’.

Eight out of 10 islanders live in households which regularly consume block butter, with 83% of them preferring Guernsey Dairy’s butter over other brands.

Those figures changed to 52% and 77% respectively when those surveyed were asked the same question about cream, and 58% and 41% respectively about ice cream.

Guernsey cheese has seen a decline in popularity, with only 31% of households buying it, compared to 40% in 2019.