Sales of Guernsey milk drop as more switch to non-dairy
GUERNSEY DAIRY has seen a near-10% fall in household consumption of its milk, while a third of households now drink milk that is non-dairy or lactose free.
Island Global Research, which carried out the survey on islanders’ milk-drinking habits, found that nearly nine out of 10 households still regularly consume Guernsey milk, despite the increase in plant-based alternatives.
The survey also found that Guernsey Dairy’s products were well regarded and the business itself has loyal support from islanders, despite households generally drinking less milk than they had in the past – 89% of households in 2019 regularly consumed the milk, which is down from 97% in 2015.
In addition, 27% of households reported drinking less Guernsey Dairy milk than five years ago, while 15% said they drank
more.
Skimmed milk, in particular, has seen a fall and it is considered to be in connection with an increase in availability of plant-based drinks and other alternatives, according to IGR, while the proportion of islanders buying full cream or low fat varieties remained fairly constant.
Guernsey Dairy general manager Andrew Tabel said the survey brought up some interesting results.
He was particularly interested in understanding the reasons for choosing milk alternatives and consumers’ attitudes towards dairy products – thought to be driven by a combination of longer shelf life, changes in consumers’ buying habits, and an increase in plant-based alternatives.
‘The data gives us a thorough insight into consumer trends, not only of the consumption of our dairy products and non-dairy alternatives but also general views of the industry,’ he said.
‘Over a four-year period, there has been a small reduction in the percentage of households who regularly consume Guernsey Dairy milk. However, encouragingly, our market share remains extremely high, with nine out of 10 households regularly buying our milk.
‘The survey results also suggest sales of skimmed milk have been displaced by milk alternatives, which is in line with reported UK trends.’
A third of households buy some non-dairy or lactose-free milk, including plant-based drinks – soya, nut or oat-based.
There were several reasons put forward by respondents for the consumption of non-dairy products. These include being vegan, preferring the taste, for animal welfare reasons, cost, dietary requirements and the most popular response at 42% of respondents, the belief they are healthier than dairy.
Overall, islanders recognised the wider importance of the Dairy in maintaining the local countryside with 83% stating they felt strongly that Guernsey milk should be produced on island, followed by 77% agreeing that the dairy industry is essential to the maintenance of the island’s traditional, and familiar, rural landscape.
Just 18% of households were unhappy about paying a premium to support the local dairy industry.
More than 1,600 local households took part in the IGR study. Similar studies were carried out in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
n A full copy of the IGR survey can be found www.gov.gg/futuredairy.
