Rachel's Organic
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Dairy products |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Rachel Rowlands |
| Headquarters | Aberystwyth , Wales, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
| Products | Yogurt, milk, rice pudding, cream, crème fraiche |
| Parent | Lactalis Nestlé Chilled Dairy (Lactalis and Nestlé joint venture) |
| Website | www |
Rachel's is an organic dairy products enterprise headquartered in Aberystwyth, Wales. Established by local agriculturalists, it holds the distinction of being the United Kingdom’s inaugural certified organic dairy and currently operates as a subsidiary of the French corporation Lactalis.
Background
In 1942, the Williams family assumed ownership of Brynllys farm located in Ceredigion, West Wales, where they cultivated a herd of Guernsey cows. Dinah Williams, daughter of Abel Jones—Professor of Agriculture at Aberystwyth University—and Bessie Brown MBE, who was the university’s pioneering dairy instructor, played a key role in promoting organic farming practices. After the Second World War, Dinah collaborated with Lady Eve Balfour to oppose the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, aiding in the establishment of the Soil Association.
By 1952, Brynllys had become one of the Soil Association’s earliest members and was recognized as the first certified organic dairy farm. Following her husband’s passing in 1966, Dinah entrusted the farm to her daughter Rachel and son-in-law Gareth Rowlands, who began supplying high-quality organic milk to the Milk Marketing Board.
During the mid-1980s, a visit from a BBC Radio 4 scriptwriter inspired an organic farming storyline on The Archers. In 2009, Teleri Bevan authored They Dared to Make a Difference, documenting three generations of the Brynllys family.
History
The company’s origins trace back to a necessity for farm diversification after severe snow in Aberystwyth in 1982 prevented access by milk tankers. The Rowlands family utilized an old-fashioned butter churn to manually produce cream and butter. This venture sparked demand for their dairy products and motivated Rachel to explore traditional recipes such as yogurt, leading to the founding of Rachel’s Dairy in 1984.
Initially, production continued at Brynllys farm; however, significant expansion between 1985 and 1990 resulted in building a dedicated dairy facility at Glanyrafon, Aberystwyth.
Present
In 1999, Rachel’s was purchased for £1.5 million by US-based dairy firm Horizon Organic, marking Horizon’s sole UK operation. Horizon was subsequently acquired by Dean Foods from Texas in 2004, which is among the largest dairy distributors in the United States.
The company removed “organic” from its brand name in 2009, becoming Rachel’s, while maintaining all products as organic—including milk, butter, rice pudding, cream, crème fraiche, and yogurts. The brand reinstated “Organic” in its name in 2019.
On 28 July 2010, Dean Foods divested Rachel's along with other European dairy holdings to Belgium’s BSA International—the parent company of France’s Lactalis Groupe—which assumed operational control. Production of rice-based desserts was shifted to France.
In May 2012, Rachel's became part of Lactalis Nestlé Chilled Dairy (LNCD), a joint venture with Nestlé (60% owned by Lactalis and 40% by Nestlé). As a result, Rachel's has been affected by the boycott associated with Lactalis Nestlé baby milk products since 2012.
Awards
Rachel’s has received numerous honors recognizing product excellence and innovation, including Great Taste and Wales the True Taste awards. In 2007, it was named among Britain’s most environmentally conscious brands according to a YouGov survey conducted by Marketing Week. By 2009, Rachel’s attained Coolbrand status featured on the UK Superbrands list. In July 2010, it garnered eight awards within the Dairy Produce Category at the Royal Welsh Show and earned a Gold award at the Wales the True Taste Food & Drink Awards for its Wholemilk Gooseberry Yogurt.
Products
- Yogurt
- Milk
- Rice pudding – manufactured in France
- Cream
- Crème fraiche