Rachel's Organic
Encyclopedia
Rachel's is an organic
dairy products company based in Aberystwyth
, Wales
. Founded by local farmers but now a subsidiary of French
company Lactalis
, it was United Kingdom
's first certified organic
dairy
.
, West Wales in 1942, and started developing a herd
of Guernsey cows. Dinah Williams is the daughter of Abel Jones, Professor of Agriculture at Aberystwyth University, and his wife Bessie Brown MBE
, the university’s first dairy instructress and organiser of the Women's Land Army
in Wales during World War I
. After World War II
, Dinah often appeared with Lady Eve Balfour, trying to dissuade farmers from using artificial fertilisers and pesticide
s, leading to the formation of Soil Association
.
As a result, in 1952 Brynllys became one of the earliest members of the Soil Association, and established the farm as the first certified organic
dairy farm. After the death of her husband in 1966, Williams handed over the farm to her middle daughter Rachel and son-in-law Gareth Rowlands. At this time they were supplying premium organic milk
to the Milk Marketing Board
.
In the mid-1980s, after a scriptwriter for BBC Radio 4
visited Brynllys, it inspired a storyline in The Archers
when Pat and Tony Archer “went organic” at Bridge Farm. In 2009, Teleri Bevan published a book They Dared to Make a Difference, detailing the lives of the three family generations at Brynllys.
hit Aberystwyth in 1982, preventing milk tankers from reaching the isolated farm, the Rowlands were forced to find other uses for their milk. Using an old butter churn
, they made cream
and butter
by hand. After the snow cleared, the Rowlands discovered they had inadvertently created a market for their dairy goods and they were spurred on to extend their range of products. Rachel began researching old recipes, including yogurt, and the Rachel’s Dairy brand was born as a company in 1984.
The home for the companies production stayed on Brynllys farm, but between 1985 and 1990 the company experienced considerable growth, which resulted in a purpose-built dairy being built at Glanyrafon, Aberystwyth.
dairy company Horizon Organic
, their only presence in the UK. In 2004, Horizon was bought by Dean Foods
based in Texas
, the largest dairy distributor in the USA.
The company dropped the “organic” from its name in 2009 becoming simply Rachel’s. However, all products currently remain organic and include milk, butter, rice pudding, cream, crème fraiche and a variety of yogurts.
On the 28 July 2010, it was confirmed that Dean Foods as part of their restructuring programme had agreed to sell a package of European dairy products companies including Rachel's to BSA International of Belgium
, the holding company for France-based Lactalis Groupe, which itself will take operational control of Rachel's.
, in 2007 the company launched a 2-layer yogurt pot. The inner sleeve was a thinner mould using polystyrene
, the outer sleeve made from recycled cardboard, and the over-cap made of polypropylene
. The exercise saved 240 tonnes of plastic a year.
In 2009, the inner sleeve was changed to be made from 60% recycled polyethylene terephthalate
, which is in itself fully recyclable. This pot was first introduced on 450g and 150g yogurts, and is now rolling out across the range.
poll conducted by Marketing Week
, and in 2009 was given Coolbrand status in the UK list of Superbrands. In July 2010, Rachel's received eight awards in the Dairy Produce Category at the Royal Welsh Show
.
Rachel's received a Gold award at Wales the True Taste Food & Drink Awards 2010, for their Wholemilk Gooseberry Yogurt.
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
dairy products company based in Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Founded by local farmers but now a subsidiary of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
company Lactalis
Lactalis
Lactalis is a multi-national dairy products corporation, owned by the Besnier family and based in Laval, Mayenne, France. It is the third largest dairy products group in the world, and is the second largest food products group in France, behind Danone...
, it was United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's first certified organic
Organic certification
Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. In general, any business directly involved in food production can be certified, including seed suppliers, farmers, [food] processors, retailers and restaurants.Requirements vary...
dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
.
Background
The Williams family took over Brynllys farm in CeredigionCeredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
, West Wales in 1942, and started developing a herd
Herd
Herd refers to a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic, and also to the form of collective animal behavior associated with this or as a verb, to herd, to its control by another species such as humans or dogs.The term herd is generally applied to mammals,...
of Guernsey cows. Dinah Williams is the daughter of Abel Jones, Professor of Agriculture at Aberystwyth University, and his wife Bessie Brown MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
, the university’s first dairy instructress and organiser of the Women's Land Army
Women's Land Army
The Women's Land Army was a British civilian organisation created during the First and Second World Wars to work in agriculture replacing men called up to the military. Women who worked for the WLA were commonly known as Land Girls...
in Wales during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Dinah often appeared with Lady Eve Balfour, trying to dissuade farmers from using artificial fertilisers and pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s, leading to the formation of Soil Association
Soil Association
The Soil Association is a charity based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1946, it has over 27,000 members today. Its activities include campaign work on issues including opposition to intensive farming, support for local purchasing and public education on nutrition; as well the certification of...
.
As a result, in 1952 Brynllys became one of the earliest members of the Soil Association, and established the farm as the first certified organic
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
dairy farm. After the death of her husband in 1966, Williams handed over the farm to her middle daughter Rachel and son-in-law Gareth Rowlands. At this time they were supplying premium organic milk
Organic milk
Organic milk is defined by the USDA as milk from cows that have been exclusively fed organic feed, have not been treated with synthetic hormones, are not given certain medications to treat sickness. [Citation Needed]- Comparison with regular milk :...
to the Milk Marketing Board
Milk Marketing Board
The Milk Marketing Board was a government agency established in 1933 to control milk production and distribution in the United Kingdom. It functioned as buyer of last resort in the British milk market, thereby guaranteeing a minimum price for milk producers...
.
In the mid-1980s, after a scriptwriter for BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
visited Brynllys, it inspired a storyline in The Archers
The Archers
The Archers is a long-running British soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting"...
when Pat and Tony Archer “went organic” at Bridge Farm. In 2009, Teleri Bevan published a book They Dared to Make a Difference, detailing the lives of the three family generations at Brynllys.
History
The company was born out of the need for farming diversification. When heavy snowSnow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
hit Aberystwyth in 1982, preventing milk tankers from reaching the isolated farm, the Rowlands were forced to find other uses for their milk. Using an old butter churn
Butter churn
A butter churn is a device used to convert cream into butter. This is done through a mechanical process, frequently via a pole inserted through the lid of the churn, or via a crank used to turn a rotating device inside the churn.-Process:...
, they made cream
Cream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
and butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
by hand. After the snow cleared, the Rowlands discovered they had inadvertently created a market for their dairy goods and they were spurred on to extend their range of products. Rachel began researching old recipes, including yogurt, and the Rachel’s Dairy brand was born as a company in 1984.
The home for the companies production stayed on Brynllys farm, but between 1985 and 1990 the company experienced considerable growth, which resulted in a purpose-built dairy being built at Glanyrafon, Aberystwyth.
Present
In 1999, the company was bought for £1.5M in an agreed takeover by United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dairy company Horizon Organic
Horizon Organic
Horizon Organic®, founded in 1991 in the United States , is a certified dairy that produces and supplies organic milk products. Horizon Organic is owned by Dean Foods and its products are distributed by WhiteWave Foods.-Current status:...
, their only presence in the UK. In 2004, Horizon was bought by Dean Foods
Dean Foods
Dean Foods is an American food and beverage company with two operating divisions: Fresh Dairy Direct and WhiteWave-Morningstar. The company maintains plants and distributors in the United States and the United Kingdom. Dean Foods products are sold throughout the USA.-History:In 1925, Samuel E...
based in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, the largest dairy distributor in the USA.
The company dropped the “organic” from its name in 2009 becoming simply Rachel’s. However, all products currently remain organic and include milk, butter, rice pudding, cream, crème fraiche and a variety of yogurts.
On the 28 July 2010, it was confirmed that Dean Foods as part of their restructuring programme had agreed to sell a package of European dairy products companies including Rachel's to BSA International of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the holding company for France-based Lactalis Groupe, which itself will take operational control of Rachel's.
Recycling
To save natural resources and increase recyclingRecycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
, in 2007 the company launched a 2-layer yogurt pot. The inner sleeve was a thinner mould using polystyrene
Polystyrene
Polystyrene ) also known as Thermocole, abbreviated following ISO Standard PS, is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry...
, the outer sleeve made from recycled cardboard, and the over-cap made of polypropylene
Polypropylene
Polypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes...
. The exercise saved 240 tonnes of plastic a year.
In 2009, the inner sleeve was changed to be made from 60% recycled polyethylene terephthalate
Polyethylene terephthalate
Polyethylene terephthalate , commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P, is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination...
, which is in itself fully recyclable. This pot was first introduced on 450g and 150g yogurts, and is now rolling out across the range.
Awards
Rachel’s has won numerous awards for the quality of its products and its innovation including Great Taste awards, and Wales the True Taste awards. In 2007 Rachel’s was recognised as one of Britain’s most environmentally friendly brands in a YouGovYouGov
YouGov, formerly known as PollingPoint in the United States, is an international internet-based market research firm launched in the UK in May 2000 by Stephan Shakespeare, now Chief Executive Officer, and Nadhim Zahawi...
poll conducted by Marketing Week
Marketing Week
Marketing Week is a magazine focused on the marketing industry in the UK. The magazine is based in London.The magazine is owned by the LSE-listed company Centaur Media plc. Among the senior staff are Publisher Sarah Gilchriest and Editor Mark Choueke. Its circulation is approximately 40,000, with...
, and in 2009 was given Coolbrand status in the UK list of Superbrands. In July 2010, Rachel's received eight awards in the Dairy Produce Category at the Royal Welsh Show
Royal Welsh Show
The Royal Welsh Show is the biggest agricultural show in Europe. It is organised by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, which was formed in 1904, and takes place in July of each year, at Llanelwedd, near Builth Wells, in Powys, Mid Wales....
.
Rachel's received a Gold award at Wales the True Taste Food & Drink Awards 2010, for their Wholemilk Gooseberry Yogurt.