The island has been without a dairy herd since the last tenants returned to the UK at the beginning of last summer.
New tenants had been due to start in January, but after several delays have now confirmed they will no longer be coming to the island.
‘The people due to take over on the island have now declined,’ said Sark Seigneur Christopher Beaumont, who is chairman of the island’s Dairy Trust.
‘It is very disappointing. However, there had been issues, including with a family illness.’
The lack of a pasteuriser at the diary was one of several issues which made attracting new candidates difficult, said Mr Beaumont.
The dairy’s previous pasteuriser, a specialised piece of equipment which heats raw milk to eliminate harmful bacteria while preserving quality and flavour, was taken back to the UK by the previous tenants, Jason and Katherine Salisbury, who had brought it with them when they moved to the island five years earlier.
‘It is back to square one apart from the fact we will have a pasteuriser with us imminently,’ said Mr Beaumont.
‘The new one is being built in Ireland and is actually much more suitable than the one we had previously. With the new pasteuriser in place, the dairy will become much more of a turnkey operation.
‘We are just lacking a herd of dairy cows, which is quite easily sourced, and a farmer with the know how.
‘We won’t be getting fresh milk back on Sark this spring, but perhaps by the summer we could see it return.’
He said the trust would now be re-advertising for new farmers, but whereas previously only a full tenancy arrangement would have worked, having the dairy ready to function with a pasteuriser means that renting could be a more attractive option.
The trust’s dairy herd returned to Guernsey but it still has a herd of eight beef cattle.
‘I’m going out early every morning to make sure they are still there,’ said Mr Beaumont.
‘If anyone is interested in the opportunity, we would love to hear from them.’
Mr and Mrs Salisbury returned to their family farm in Suffolk when they left Sark.
They described their departure as ‘incredibly heart-wrenching’ after putting an enormous amount of work into their venture, although they admitted struggles to make a go of the business financially.
For more information contact info@sarkdairytrust.com.