Lisburn-based Draynes Farm recently hosted a visit to its combined dairy farm and processing operation for members of Ulster Grassland Society (UGS).
The business sells a mix of liquid milk and ice-cream to shops, hotels and public sector bodies across Northern Ireland.
Company partner, Michael Drayne, addressed UGS members and confirmed that the business processes seven million litres of milk on an annual basis.
“We produce around one million litres of milk from our own cows, the rest we buy in from Ballyrashane Creamery, now part of Lakeland Dairies,” he said.
“We have been reasonably successful in maintaining the prices that we receive over recent months. But this is not an easy process.
“E.g., when supplying the likes of the health sector, we enter into fixed-price contract arrangements that cannot be changed for an agreed period of time.
“There is also a fundamental requirement to invest in the processing side of the business on a continuous basis. And all of this comes at a significant cost,” he said.
Draynes Farm
Approximately 60% of the milk processed at Drayne’s Farm is sold in semi-skimmed form; the rest is made available as full-fat and full-skim options.
“Improving the overall sustainability of the business is critically important as we look to the future,” he continued.
“Our aim is to secure carbon neutrality by 2040. Solar panels, fixed to a number of the roofs at Draynes Farm, currently supply 40% of the electricity required by the company.
“The electricity generated by the panels varies greatly depending on the time of year and the sunshine levels from day-to-day,” Drayne added.
He explained that the plan is to double the footprint of the panels over the coming months. This should mean that it can secure 80% of the electricity it needs using solar technologies.
“The cost of solar panels has come down considerably. And, obviously, this is important in making them a viable option for us,” Drayne said.
Drayne’s Farm was established by the family in 1932. The proximity of Lisburn made the option of supplying homes and businesses in the town with fresh milk a feasible one.
Organic growth has been achieved by the business over the past 91 years.
“Doorstep delivery was critically important in the early days. But back then there were strict controls on prices,” Drayne commented.
“So, we had to ask government to allow any price increase that we would have wanted to make.”
As the years passed, the sophistication of the Draynes Farm business increased. Horses and carts gave way to electric floats, which were replaced by a larger, temperature-controlled diesel lorry fleet.
“The entry of the supermarkets marked the beginning of the end for doorstep deliveries,” Drayne explained.
“However, over a 40-year period, we had managed to build up a customer base in the Lisburn area that would have challenged for top market spot.
“And we have always been extremely grateful for the support given to us in this way.”
The ending of the doorstep delivery service saw Draynes Farm switching to supply local shops.
Entry into the Belfast market was secured on the back of a supply agreement reached with the Costa Coffee franchise.
Subsequent to this, the business started supplying milk to coffee shops in the Newry area.
“It’s funny how developments can take place within a business. There’s a lot of hype today about the benefits of electric vehicles. At one stage we had 10 electric floats servicing customers in the Lisburn area.
“But the drawback was the maximum speed: 15mi/h. As a result, they annoyed at lot of people with disruption, particularly at rush hour.”
The Drayne’s main milk plant currently runs at 5,000L/hr, producing full skim (1% fat), semi-skimmed and whole milk. The company also produced whipping and double cream.
An ice-cream plant pasteurises 300L of milk per hour. A recent investment in a 770L continuous freezer will allow more ice-cream to be produced on a daily basis.
According to Michael Drayne, bringing the ice-cream temperature quickly down to -40°C improves both the texture and the shelf life of the product.
Future
Draynes Farm employs a total of nine full-time staff within its processing operation. A further 18 people are employed in product distribution.
Backing this up are an additional seven staff, employed in a sales, administrative and management capacity.
Further investment within the business is in train for 2024. This will include a doubling of the main milk processing plant from 5,000L to 10,000L/hr.
“We need more processing capacity, particularly in the run-up to the weekend,” Michael Drayne explained.
“Everything started with the cows on the farm, and they are still a fundamental driver for the business. Customers have the opportunity to visit the farm and view the cows.”