A FAMILY-run farm is celebrating an udderly brilliant start after launching its own milk delivery service.

Smithills Open Farm started offering deliveries in January and already operates five milk rounds, serving homes across Bolton.

The farm’s 100 cows produce as much as 7,500 pints each day which are bottled up on site before being distributed.

Carl Grimshaw, who runs the farm, says he was shocked by the uptake after launching the service and thanked the people of Bolton for getting involved.

He said: “When we first started off doing, never in our wildest dreams did we think it would be this busy.

“We have been processing for over 18 months but we only started selling in January.

“So many people say I can’t believe milkmen still exist. But, people want to use milkmen and they want to support their local businesses.”

After the initial success of the service, Smithills Open Farm has extended its delivery route and now serves Adlington, as well as Horwich, Bolton and much of the rest of the borough.

In addition to their booming milk trade, the farm now creates its own cream, ice cream and most recently butter.

Staff try to package the products using methods that are good for the environment and the milk deliveries come in a traditional glass bottles.

“We use 99 percent glass or reusable products,” Mr Grimshaw added.

“The majority are one litre glass bottles and they really attract people because they’re bigger and they have a screw top lid which helps to keep the milk fresh.”

The farm also tries to package its other products with reusable materials, for example juice bottles, which are also made of glass, and egg boxes, which are returned to the farm and refilled.

Anyone interested in having milk, juice, eggs or other items delivered to their home should visit: www.smithillsopenfarm.co.uk/milk-deliveries.