Page 28 - Real Rochdale - Winter 2018

anaging director Ahzar Zouq explained:
Mbecome increasingly aware of how food is
ancashire Farm Dairies was established in
1984 by current managing director Azhar
Zouq and his father. Now a second
L generation family business, Lancashire
Farm Dairies is one of the fastest growing grocery
brands in the UK.
The dairy company had humble beginnings as a
fruit and vegetable stall on Rochdale market,
before branching out into wholesale yoghurt.
After spotting a gap in the market during the early
1990s, Azhar and his father decided to make their
own Lancashire Farm natural yoghurt.
Employing 200 local residents, Lancashire Farm
Dairies is based at premises on Kingsway
Business Park.
The company now has a turnover of £33 million,
continuing to grow by 20% year-on-year.
In 2009, major retail supermarkets picked up the
products, stocking its quality yoghurts in Asda and
Tesco. Now, its products are sold all over the UK
AZHAR ZOUQ and are stocked in all Asda and Iceland stores.
The dairy company has picked up numerous awards, topping the bill at this year’s summer shows in
Yorkshire and Nantwich, where the Lancashire Farm brand – and sister brand Pakeeza – picked up nine
awards and two high commendations for its cream, lassi and yoghurts.
In 2018, the company became the first UK yoghurt manufacturer to commit to using free-range milk,
sourced from 20 Lancashire farms. Lancashire Farm has developed its own free-range standard with a
150-day ‘grazing guarantee.’ This allows cows the freedom to benefit from roaming the fields, whereas a
higher number could mean the herd is outside in harmful cold and wet conditions.
REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2018 28
“Within the last few years, consumers have
manufactured and where it comes from. We have
also noticed an increased call for clarity and trans-
parency within the dairy/food industry.
“There is a great deal of confusion around terms
such as ‘grass-fed’, or by negative press focussing
on the exceptions. That is why we worked closely
with our milk producers, to make free-range the
norm, rather than the exception.
“Our producers enable their herds to graze
outside for at least 150 days a year, if not more
when the Lancashire weather permits. The next
closest standard is Waitrose, which has a 120-day
period for milk.
“With free-range, we have encouraged higher
welfare in the dairy system, which is expected to
reduce stress across the cow’s lifetime, allowing for
high quality, plentiful milk production, creating a
more sustainable supply chain.
“We know this is something our customers want.
We have looked towards free-range eggs as an
example, which are still outgrowing their category,
with most retailers committing to removing battery
farms eggs by 2020.
“We are able to offer a premium to our farmers,
providing them with a more sustainable milk price,
that supports them through market volatility and
extremes of weather. As a result, we have increased
our supplier base on the back of free range,
meaning we are able to work with, and support
more local family run farms.
“Our focus is on farmers and free-range
proposals, which is why we made the move to
100% free range.”
Lancashire Farm’s natural bio 1kg tub remains one
of the company’s best sellers, thanks to its versatile
nature, but also partly to a consumer shift away
from the processed and sugary competition.
The brand’s most recent release also reflects this,
with the switch to free-range and fat-free Greek-
style yogurt, low in sugar and high in protein.
29 REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2018