A Salford-based family business delivers traditional glass bottles of milk in an effort to cut down the amount of plastic in Greater Manchester.
Creamline is based in Eccles; it was opened in Salford in 1945.
Managing director Chris Swallow has been running the business for 25 years with his brother-in-law Robert Purvis.
Their business delivers groceries, including their milk in glass bottles, to 10,000 customers in the area.
Mr Swallow said: “It very much feels like the world has come full circle: historically, the business was based on local produce, recycled glass bottles and electric vehicles.
“And, hey presto! Here we are in 2019 and we’re seeing a really great upsurge in customer numbers because they’re really interested in local produce, recycling and sustainability.”
Creamline’s glass milk bottles can be used up to 40 times thus making them significantly more environmentally friendly than plastic cartons, which can take thousands of years to decompose.
The business operates through an online platform where residents of Salford and Greater Manchester can order food and drink products that can be delivered to their door.
In their range of products are a selection of plastic-free groceries which include dairy products, fruit and veg and juices.
Mr Swallow is hopeful for their plastic-free range.
He said: “We’ve got some opportunities next year and some ideas and strategies which mean that we can create a really, really exciting range.
“So, we’re working very, very hard on the plastic free element of it and we hope that we’ve got some big things to announce in 2020.”
Salford, Mr Swallow says, is vital to the operation of their business.
He said: “It’s a great area – we’ve got customers down most streets. One of the exciting things about the opportunity is that we’ve got thousands of customers, but we also drive past thousands of houses that don’t have anything from us at the moment.
We serve our milk in traditional style glass bottles. It's sourced from within 30 miles of the Creamline headquarters, helping our customers support local farmers for that fabulous old-fashioned fresh taste! ?>>>https://t.co/qmdvK91FOI pic.twitter.com/XfZ03GXeG0
— Creamline (@CreamlineDairy) November 26, 2019
“So really what we’re trying to do is reinvent ourselves to make our offering really relevant to our existing customers but also to persuade some of the people we drive past every day that we’re worth listing and stopping at their houses too. Salford is the cornerstone of our business and it always has been”
Andy Partington has been working at Creamline for 35 years and estimates that he has delivered around 6 million bottles of milk during his career.
He said: “One of the nice things about our model is that you go to the same area everyday and look after 300-350 customers. So, you get to know your customers well.
“I can recognise them and it’s lovely. I really enjoy it. Once you start talking to people and you can have a chat with them, it’s wonderful.”
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