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Frequently Asked Questions

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We’ve tried to answer some of our most frequently asked questions, but if you still need help, don’t hesitate to contact us.
    • How many farms supply Isle of Man Creamery?

      We have 30 local dairy farms that supply milk to the Creamery. These are family owned farms, and most have supplied the Creamery for many years

    • Who owns the Creamery?

      The Creamery is a farmers' cooperative, this means that we are owned by the 30 farms that supply milk to us. 

    • How often are the cows milked?

      Twice a day, 365 days of the year. Cows must be milked this often to prevent infections in the udder, such as mastitis.

    • Does milking hurt the cows?

      No, the machine gently squeezes the teats, mimicking the motion of a calf suckling. Most cows are fed in the parlour, allowing the farmer to specialise the animal’s diet on an individual basis.

    • Are the cows happy?

      On the island, cows are kept to a very high standard of animal welfare. All of our farms are ‘Farm Assured’, they have to be independently audited by National Dairy Farm Assurance Scheme NDFAS to receive this accreditation.

      The cows graze outdoors as much as possible (weather permitting) and can wonder around the fields freely. They are only kept indoors for a minimal period in the winter, when it wouldn’t be suitable for the cows to be outside as it is too wet and cold.

    • What do the cows eat?

      Manx cows have a diet based on grass. In the summer they will graze the fields and in the winter they will eat silage. Silage is grass which is harvested in the summer and pickled over time, it is full of nutrients and really tasty for the cows.

      The farmer will usually feed cows corn concentrates in the parlour, which will be fed to the cows on an individual basis. This is an additional supplement to the grass and provides the cows with variety in their diet.


       

    • What are the yellow tags in cows ears?

      Each cow has a passport. The document is unique for each cow and can trace the animal's mother, place of birth and any movements throughout her lifetime. Knowing where the cow comes from helps the farmer manage her more efficiently.

    • How much milk does one of your tankers hold?

      Our tankers can hold up to 26,000 litres of milk. The visit our farms every day to collect milk to bring back to the Creamery 

    • How many people work at the Creamery?

      At present we have approx 80 people working at the main Creamery building in Tromode. They span production, customer services, logistics, sales and marketing, human resources and technical. 

    • How much milk do you process in a year?

      During the year approx 26million litres of milk will come into the Creamery, this will be used to produce liquid milk, cheese, butter and cream 

    • What does your lab do?

      Our on-site laboratory manages the safety and quality of Isle of Man Creamery products. 

      Every batch of milk, cheese, butter and cream produced is tested to the highest standards to ensure that it is of the highest quality and meets our stringent food safety standards. 

      When milk is picked up from farms, before it is even allowed into the Creamery, the milk is tested to ensure that it is meeting our microbiological standards, which we set higher than industry norm to ensure the best quality products 

    • How much cheese do you produce in a year?

      We have an average of 26 million litres of milk coming into the Creamery every year. Of this around 9 million litres is sold as liquid milk on Island. 

      The rest is produced into cheese which equates to around 1800 tonnes per year

    • How much does your delivery service cost?

      Our doorstep delivery service is completely free of charge to every household on the Island. 

    • What's the nutritional information of your products?

      All the nutritional information of our products can be found on the packaging and also on the product pages of our website 

    • Where do you export your cheese to?

      Our cheese is enjoyed all over the world and we are always looking for new export markets. Some of the places you can find Isle of man Creamery cheese includes:

      • Ireland 
      • USA
      • Canada
      • Australia
      • Malta
      • Spain 

      You can also find our cheese on Emirates airlines and in their business class lounges 

    • What is Creamery Club?

      The Creamery Club is a subscription service we can offer to our doorstep delivery customers with all these benefits 

      A fortnightly recycling collection for ANY cartons
      A free recycling container
      An Isle of Man Creamery cool bag
      An Isle of Man Creamery club pin badge
      10% off all Isle of Man Creamery cheese, butter, buttermilk and cream on doorstep delivery 
      Priority access to farm and Creamery tours
      A free milkshake at any Agriculture or Food and Drink show when you show your badge
      Early access to ordering Christmas gifts
      A first look at any limited-edition cheeses and early ordering

      You can sign-up on our website if you'd like to join