The Family Business Behind "The Dairy"

Antony and Michelle run Bradeley Farm in Cheadle. You may be familiar with their fun farm shop, "The Dairy," where you can get a great milkshake and other treats 24/7.

Antony has been supplying milk to the town and has been in farming all his life. Michelle told us that she grew up with a father who was an engineer. They produce 1.7 million litres of milk each year, and although they have 3,000 doorstep customers and supply the town’s shops, it only amounts to a third of their yearly production. So they have to sell through supermarkets too to survive.

The ladies responsible for bringing our milkshakes

Antony told our reporter that they have had a reduction in the price they sell their milk from 43p per litre down to around 33p per litre. That 10p per litre becomes £150,000 knocked off the dairy farm’s top line. It's a huge blow.

Antony told us, "We did have the perfect system, which was the Milk Marketing Board. They controlled the price and gave a steady year-on-year increase and no decreases. You got your milk quota, which was all within the hands of the dairy farmers and ruled output. Now the only thing to rule output is market price, so it is going up and down in repeating cycles. You’ve got some dairy farmers getting 43p per litre and some others getting 24p per litre. That’s a 24p difference in price, which is a very unfair system."

It was Antony’s idea to open the farm shop, and because he loves vending machines, he also gets a better price selling from them. And when people come and buy, they are getting fresher milk than from the supermarkets too.

Antony explained, "The milk we sell is pasteurised, but the milk you buy from the supermarket is also homogenised, which means it passes through the human body quicker, which for some presents false lactose intolerance. It is also standardised, which means fat is removed and added."

Michelle and her daughter Helaina run their shop together. Michelle does the baking, and they share the ice cream making duties. Michelle’s byline is, “Give us a try and you won’t look back.

A few of the many delights at The Dairy

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The Family Business Behind "The Dairy" - created 9th March 2026