Acorn Dairy in Co Durham has been named Best Dairy Butter option in the UK by Ethical Consumer Magazine.
The publication ranks consumer products based on factors including environmental impact, animals, politics, product sustainability, and company ethos.
The low-carbon, organic farm in Archdeacon Newton, near Darlington is run by Caroline Bell and her brother Graham Tweddle, and has been farming since 1928, converting to organic status in 1998.
Caroline said: “The butter brand range reviewed was significant in scale and included smaller producers such as ourselves, international brands and supermarket own-branded dairy butter and plant-based spreads.
“I have subscribed to Ethical Consumer Magazine for many years and was delighted when I saw they had reviewed butter and that Acorn Dairy was the top dairy brand. For our butter to receive a higher ethical ranking than so many processed plant spreads makes us very proud, especially as our marketing budget is miniscule compared to some of the other big boys!”
The dairy was ranked fourth overall out of 50 butters, plant spreads and margarines – a result Caroline attributes to the firm’s commitment to organic standards on its farms in Yorkshire and Durham, and getting food from field to fridge in the best way possible for the environment, land and animals.
She added: “It is no surprise that if we feed the best, organic forage with clover and herbs to our Dairy Shorthorns, the cream in their milk will churn to fantastic butter. The taste difference is there in the milk and cream too. In 2020 ECM listed us as their best dairy brand for fresh milk. This was wonderful enough but for our butter to be listed in its own right is fabulous.”
Caroline and Graham are always looking for new ways to reduce the business’ footprint and improve their sustainable credentials. They have recently stopped using greaseproof paper and sellotape for butter wrapping in favour of a 100% home compostable packaging.
The ranking is the latest highlight for the dairy, which last year won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for sustainable development.
For more information visit www.acorndairy.co.uk
Pictured: Acorn Dairy directors Graham Tweddle and Caroline Bell
