All that's old is new again... Last week, we wrote about a bank that brought back the shoebox as a no-tech organizing system for their time-starved clients. Now, one of our spotters alerted us to the return of the milkman. Delivering organic milk to customers' doors in glass milk bottles, the Manhattan Milk Company is reviving old-fashioned dairy delivery.
For a USD 5 delivery charge, Manhattanites can get a weekly delivery of fresh milk. The company's driver loads up his truck on Wednesdays at 4 am and delivers to all of Manhattan, picking up empty bottles when he drops off the full ones. The milk is sourced from 51 Amish farms in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, about 160 miles southwest of New York City, and is also sold at the Batch store on 150B W. 10th Street.
While we hope MMC switches to electric or pedal-powered delivery vehicles for its many stops and starts in the city, the concept has an undeniable still made here charm that will appeal to consumers' sense of nostalgia. And what about combining dairy delivery with the community supported agriculture ventures that deliver organic fruit and veg from farms to households across the world? Convenience, charm, organic and local—combine that with business smarts, and it's hard to go wrong. (Related: High-end dessert trucks.)
Website: www.manhattanmilk.com
Contact: info@manhattanmilk.com
Spotted by: Esther Chang
This really isn't new, but maybe it is for NY. Here in Denver, CO area there are 2 dairies delivering organic milk.
Royal Crest: http://www.royalcrestdairy.com/
Longmont: http://www.longmontdairy.com/
I am using Royal Crest which delivers the milk in a heavy weight plastic bottle that they reuse. Longmont still uses glass bottles. I don't think we have any Amish farms in the area, but both dairies boast about the lack of hormones and antibiotics in their milk. We also get things like butter, yogurt, cream cheese, half n half, bread, and juice in our delivery. This helps to cut down on trips to the store. It costs about $1 more per gallon of milk than the store and I think the monthly service fee is $5. We have a standard order, but most times we fill out the order card which we leave outside for the driver.
I am sure this kind of service is available elsewhere in the country.
I think it is funny that you call this "still made here" when it is actually made 160 miles away when there are dairies in the NY area that are selling milk processed much closer to the city than that with milk from farms in NY, NJ, and PA.
Here in London, I get milk delivered free to my door - organic or non in glass reusable bottles. They also deliver soya milk in cartons, juice in glass reusables + other items such as bread.