Waitrose supermarket Times Newspapers

A HIGH-END supermarket chain became the first to stock 100 per cent British dairy products for its own label today.

Any dairy ingredients in Waitrose own-label yoghurts, dairy ice cream, milk, cream, cheddar and butter will also be made using British dairy ingredients from September.

The firm made the announcement as it celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Farmers Milk Scheme, a partnership with more than 60 British dairy farmers.

"We already have 100 per cent British milk and cream under our essential Waitrose line and those products are from our 60 dedicated farmers"

Amy Hayward, agricultural communications manager for Waitrose, said: "We already have 100 per cent British milk and cream under our essential Waitrose line and those products are from our 60 dedicated farmers.

"Their milk is segregated so we know exactly where each pint of milk has come from.

"In addition from September 1, we are adding dairy ice cream and yoghurt because we can guarantee that all the semi-skimmed milk powder used will be British in those two products making us 100 per cent British own label Waitrose."

The number of UK dairy farms is falling year on year, with 17,060 dairy farms in the UK in June 2008 - 4.8 per cent, or 855, fewer than in 2007.

The number of dairy farmers is also dwindling, halving in England and Wales in the past ten years and dropping by 31 per cent in Scotland and 32 per cent in Northern Ireland, according to the Dairy Statistics handbook.

But the average Waitrose dairy farm production is increasing, bucking the trend.

Iain Dalton, general manager of Leckford Estate, which is owned by Waitrose, said: "We are here to celebrate 10 years of Waitrose's commitment to UK dairy farming.

"All the milk supplied to Waitrose comes from a dedicated group of farmers.

"It's about high animal welfare, working in partnership with its farmers to produce good milk, making sure these cows are looked after in the best possible way to ensure that what the customer is looking for we are able to deliver week in week out, year in year out.

"Life is as good as it gets - out grazing in the summer, in the winter we bring them inside in purpose designed, airy sheds with cow mattresses for them to sleep on, abiding by best practice."

Waitrose said it pays the farmers "the fairest price" providing an investment of £18 million over the last 10 years, now worth around £4 million a year.