Supplied by Hinxden Farm Dairy, near Benenden - Some 21 Food Miles

Hinxden Cows

Here at Hinxden we know that happy, content cows will give lots of rich, creamy milk. As a result of our care, we are proud to hold Red Tractor Farm Assurance Status. This means that our cow welfare meets the high standards required on British farms and gives customers confidence that the milk is traceable, safe and farmed with care.

We have bred generations of pedigree Guernsey and Holstein cattle; each one has its own name and passport. The 2 herds of milking cows and the young calves live at home (Hinxden) while the young stock and dry cows live on our rented farm on the Hole Park estate in Rolvenden.

The cows are milked twice a day, 4.30am and 3pm. In winter, they much prefer to be indoors, sleeping in large dry straw barns and eating home grown grass and maize silage as part of a Total Mixed Ration, carefully balanced to contain all the vitamins and minerals for complete cow health. In spring, summer and autumn, the cows enjoy playing and grazing our lush pastures.

The Guernseys love sun-bathing while the Holsteins are often to be found in the shade provided by the ancient trees and hedgerows that surround each field.

Each cow has a 2 month holiday from milking every year before they are due to calve with their next calf. This is called their dry period. This dry period is for the cows to enjoy eating, drinking and relaxing.

Our milk is pasteurised. Pasteurisation involves gently heating the milk to 74 degrees C, holding it at this temperature for 15 seconds and then rapidly cooling it. We pasteurise the milk to kill-off any naturally occurring bacteria and using this process means that the cream still rises to the top of the bottle. Baristas find that using pasteurised milk results in their latte art holding its shape for longer!

Our milk is not homogenised, like some supermarket milk. Homogenisation is a process where the fat globules of milk are broken down into smaller molecules by being blasted at high pressure through tiny pinholes, so they disperse within the milk rather than rise to the top.

Hugh Lowe

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