A FARMER and WI member has persuaded her local supermarket to start stocking one-pint milk cartons next to its sandwiches, in a bid to support dairy farmers and provide an alternative to fizzy drink options.

The Post reported last week in the Community News section that Sylvia Crocker, of Lewtrenchard WI, shared news with her club that Launceston’s Tesco had taken up her idea to stock the single pint containers alongside their takeaway sandwich counter.

Since the idea was taken on at the Launceston store, it has also been implemented at Tesco stores at Callington, Roborough, Crediton and Tavistock — and the Post understands the idea could be rolled out nationally.

Sylvia, who is a beef and sheep farmer at Lewdown with her husband Robert, said she first approached the Launceston store with the idea for relocating some of the pints of milk around two months ago, adding that the store’s fresh food manager Darren Stringer was instrumental in taking on the idea: “I put the idea to him and it fell on good ears. He’s a star as far as I’m concerned,” she said.

“It’s a much healthier, better option than those sugary drinks. What we are trying to generate is enthusiasm among customers to buy milk and up the profile of milk.”

Although Sylvia said as a farmer she is not producing milk, she was brought up on a dairy farm, and her son Charlie and daughter Chloe both want to go into farming.

She added: “This is a community thing — it’s the wellbeing of everybody, not just the dairy farmers’, but the wellbeing of people drinking the milk. Especially with the dairy farmers struggling to survive, we need to nurture the farmers’ and supermarkets’ relationship. We need people to go to customer services and say this is a very good idea, and give people praise for doing it.”

A Tesco spokesperson told the Post: “Our store managers are always trying out new ideas based on the feedback they receive from their local customers.

“It’s great that, at these stores, they’re looking at ways to enhance the lunchtime offer.”