Our September climate heroes
Faced with the collapse of his family’s dairy business, Bryce Cunningham came up with an organic solution of 'low and slow' milk pasteurisation
‘Why we launched the world’s most expensive flat white’
Farming is one of the first things that’s sold down the river by the government and the market — I wanted to change the whole narrative.
I’m a third-generation farmer at Mossgiel; my grandpa came here in 1948, and then my dad took on the farm. I took over the business in 2015 when my dad and grandpa were both diagnosed with terminal health conditions.
I was 27. I’d left the farm after school to do apprenticeships with Mercedes Benz and had worked my way up to management there. But when I came home, I discovered that their illnesses were much worse than I’d expected – they gave grandpa three months, and my dad a year. At the same time, the milk price had almost collapsed. It went from 27p to 9p per litre.
As a result, we lost just over £180,000 in the year. We were forced to sell most of our cows and machinery. We began selling our milk to the local community. I built a pasteuriser, and without realising, I created a new way of pasteurising; a “low and slow” method, which killed off the bacteria but meant the milk tasted as close to raw, creamy milk as possible.
We became organic and in 2019, we cut out single-use plastic. Since 2021, we’ve been supplying all the milk to East Ayrshire schools. We’re the first such contract in Scotland where there’s no waste.
We’re one of only two dairy farms in Scotland that operates a ‘cow-with-calf’ system, where the calves are kept with their mothers.
Last year, we launched ‘the world’s most expensive flat white’ where the price includes 34 shares in the farm to fund more sustainable production.
We hope to sell our milk in London soon, and across the UK in the next couple of years. I think my dad and grandpa would be proud of me.’
If you can’t get Mossgiel milk where you are, how can you ensure your daily milk has as little impact on the planet as possible?
- Follow Mossgiel on social media for inspiration. They’re on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
- Research how the milk industry works and consider changing your buying habits. Are there milk delivery services in your area which use recyclable glass bottles? Where is your nearest organic dairy?
- Demand for total organic food and drink saw positive growth in 2024, increasing by 7.3% to reach market value of £3.7bn, according to the Soil Association. And according to ADHB (the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board) there’s been a 13.8% year-on-year increase in people buying British organic milk. You’ll be in good company!
- Find out more at mossgielfarm.co.uk
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