Modern Milkman
Modern Milkman is a UK-headquartered subscription grocery delivery service that uses a return-and-reuse glass bottle system and its own milkround network to deliver fresh essentials to over 100,000 UK households, and has expanded to five US states via acquisition.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Modern Milkman does
Modern Milkman is a UK-headquartered subscription grocery delivery service that combines a digital-first ordering platform with a traditional doorstep milkround logistics network. Founded in 2018-2019 by Simon Mellin in Colne, Lancashire, and now headquartered in Manchester, the company delivers fresh groceries — milk, dairy, bakery, eggs, meat, juice, milkshakes and food cupboard staples — sourced from a network of more than 40 independent UK producers, directly to consumers' homes up to three times per week by 7:30am. The company's central differentiator is a return-and-reuse glass bottle system (bottles reused 25-30 times before recycling) tracked via RFID technology, which is supported by a B Corp certification, Carbon ISO-14064-1 greenhouse-gas accounting, and Fairtrade-certified supply partners.
The business operates a subscription-recurring revenue model based on repeat weekly orders, supplemented by one-time purchases and ancillary revenue streams including a doorstep parcel collection service launched in partnership with Evri in 2024, a soft plastics recycling collection bag, and The Round loyalty/subscription program. Customers self-serve through a web platform and iOS/Android apps, with billing occurring three days in advance of the delivery week. Following two acquisitions of its US namesake in 2024 and 2025, the company now operates across five US states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Ohio and New York) in addition to England, Scotland and Wales, serving over 100,000 UK households. The company has raised over £60m in cumulative funding across a £50m Series C (2022, led by Insight Partners and ETF Partners), a £566,742 CrowdCube round (2022), and a £10m Salica Investments growth debt facility (2026), and was last valued at a £246.9m pre-money in November 2022. Reported financials reference 62x revenue growth since 2019, though no absolute revenue figure is disclosed.
Modern Milkman firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Modern Milkman
- Legal name
- Modern Milkman Ltd
- Website
- https://themodernmilkman.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Modern Milkman is a UK-headquartered subscription grocery delivery service that uses a return-and-reuse glass bottle system and its own milkround network to deliver fresh essentials to over 100,000 UK households, and has expanded to five US states via acquisition.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Modern Milkman industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Grocery Delivery
- NAICS
- Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Milk (Fluid & Shelf-Stable) (CRADACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Dairy & Refrigerated (Perishables) Distribution (CRAOABAD)
Keywords
Where Modern Milkman is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Modern Milkman business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Subscription-based Grocery Delivery: Recurring revenue from weekly/bi-weekly grocery deliveries through repeat order subscriptions. Customers can add repeat orders up until 8pm before delivery days and receive deliveries up to three times per week. Billing occurs three days in advance of delivery.
- One-time Order Purchases: Single-purchase transactions for additional items outside of regular subscription orders. Payment is taken immediately at point of purchase.
- Parcel Collection Service: Collection facilitation, hub processing/labelling and handover service for parcels, working with carriers like Evri for onward delivery.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Repeat Order Subscription |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | One-time Orders |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Modern Milkman product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Modern Milkman operates a subscription-based doorstep grocery delivery service focused on reducing packaging waste through a return-and-reuse glass bottle system. Customers receive fresh milk, groceries and household essentials (including bakery, juice, milkshakes, dairy, meat, and food cupboard items) delivered by 7:30am up to three times per week, with the ability to manage repeat weekly orders until 8pm the night before delivery. The platform combines traditional milkround logistics with a modern digital ordering and tracking infrastructure.
Product overview
Modern Milkman is a sustainable grocery delivery platform operating a subscription-based model with repeat ordering capabilities. The core offering centers on doorstep delivery of fresh groceries including Milk, Tea & Coffee, Bakery, Fruit Juice, Milkshakes, Butter & Cheese, Meat & Fish, Food Cupboard staples, Eggs, and Bundles, with customers able to order up to three delivery days per week. The platform differentiates through its return-and-reuse system for glass bottles and sustainable packaging. Additional offerings include the Soft Plastics Collection Bag for recycling soft plastics, Doorstep Solutions for storage, Parcel Collection Service via Evri integration, and The Round loyalty program. Products come from independent UK suppliers including Dales Dairies, Brades Farm, Mossgiel Organic Dairy, The Jolly Hog, Tony's Chocolonely, and many others committed to sustainable practices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Round: Monthly or annual subscription membership program with prize draws for members, offering one or more entries based on subscription tier.
Products and services
- Core Grocery Delivery Subscription Subscription-based doorstep delivery of fresh groceries (milk, tea & coffee, bakery, juice, milkshakes, dairy, meat & fish, eggs, and food cupboard items). Customers set up repeat weekly orders and can choose up to three delivery days per week, with delivery completed by 7:30am. Orders can be edited until 8pm the night before delivery, and deliveries can be paused for holidays. Designed for environmentally conscious and time-constrained UK and US households.
- Bundles Pre-curated product bundles that group grocery items at a saving, such as the Luxury Milkshake Bundle and Sausages & Smoked Bacon Bundle. Available through the Modern Milkman storefront to households seeking convenient curated grocery packs.
- Doorstep Solutions Physical storage solutions (such as milk huts and storage containers) sold through the Modern Milkman storefront to protect and store items delivered to the doorstep.
- Soft Plastics Collection Bag Reusable collection bag plus collection service for soft plastics (bread bags, salad bags, film packaging) that local councils don't accept in kerbside recycling. Customers fill the bag and leave it out for Modern Milkman drivers to collect for recycling.
- Parcel Collection Service Doorstep parcel collection and handover service. Customers book via the app or website, leave pre-sealed parcels on the doorstep, and Modern Milkman drivers collect them, process labels at the hub, and hand them to Evri for onward sortation, carriage, and delivery.
- The Round Loyalty Program Subscription loyalty program with monthly and annual membership tiers. Monthly members receive one prize draw entry per qualifying order and annual members receive two entries. Prizes include account credit, incentivising repeat orders and customer loyalty.
- 6 Large Free Range Eggs Free-range eggs sourced from UK free-range egg suppliers (St. Ewe, Country Lane Foods, Bird Bros, Geldard Farm Eggs) and sold through the Modern Milkman subscription storefront.
- Modern Milkman Chorizo Jam Artisanal chorizo jam produced by The Fruity Kitchen and sold under the Modern Milkman brand as part of its food cupboard range via the subscription storefront.
- All Things Cottage Cheese - Natural Natural cottage cheese from All Things Butter, made using traditional batch churning methods from a Somerset dairy, sold via the Modern Milkman storefront.
Quantifiable outcome
- 62x revenue growth since 2019
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Modern Milkman
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Modern Milkman technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Modern Milkman partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- EvricoreUK parcel delivery carrier that handles onward sortation, carriage and delivery for Modern Milkman's parcel collection service. Drivers collect parcels from doorsteps and hand them to Evri for delivery.
- Modern Milkman UScoreUS-based milk delivery company with the same name, acquired in January 2024. Founded in 2018, it serves Massachusetts and Connecticut with plans to expand into New York and Rhode Island. Acquisition enables UK Modern Milkman to enter the US market using its technology platform.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Modern Milkman competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Milk & More: UK's largest traditional milkround, offering doorstep delivery of milk and groceries with reusable glass bottles. Most direct competitor to Modern Milkman in the UK morning delivery subscription category.
- Abel & Cole: UK organic and sustainable grocery delivery subscription service, founded 1988. Comparable subscription-led DTC model targeting environmentally conscious consumers with weekly box and à la carte delivery.
- Riverford Organic Farmers: UK organic farm-to-doorstep vegetable box and grocery subscription service. Direct comparable on subscription model, sustainability positioning, and DTC farm-supply proposition.
Emerging players
- Farmdrop: UK online marketplace connecting consumers directly with local farmers and producers. Overlapping supplier network model and sustainability positioning, though marketplace rather than inventory-led.
- Imperfect Foods: US DTC subscription service for sustainable groceries targeting waste reduction. Closest US analogue to Modern Milkman's US operations in subscription model and sustainability narrative.
- Misfits Market: US online grocer selling surplus and "ugly" produce via subscription. Comparable sustainability-led DTC grocery subscription model relevant to Modern Milkman's US expansion thesis.
Broad incumbents
- Ocado Retail: UK online grocery leader, jointly owned by Ocado Group and Marks & Spencer. Represents the broad incumbent threat in UK online grocery and a key competitive reference for category economics.
- Getir: Quick-commerce player operating instant grocery delivery across UK and Europe. Represents the speed-of-delivery alternative to Modern Milkman's scheduled next-morning model.
Others
- Piccolo (The Bread Factory / Northern Rye): Northern Rye and The Bread Factory are Modern Milkman's own bakery subsidiaries supplying its platform. Adjacent production-side operator relevant to its vertical integration strategy.
- Salica Investments (GHF / OOH): Growth debt provider to Modern Milkman (Jan 2026) with a focus on sustainable consumer brands. Ecosystem participant enabling capital structure rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Modern Milkman social profiles
Digital presenceModern Milkman compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Modern Milkman financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Modern Milkman leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Modern Milkman subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Modern Milkman funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Modern Milkman M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Modern Milkman
What does Modern Milkman do?
Modern Milkman operates a subscription-based doorstep grocery delivery service focused on reducing packaging waste through a return-and-reuse glass bottle system. Customers receive fresh milk, groceries and household essentials (including bakery, juice, milkshakes, dairy, meat, and food cupboard items) delivered by 7:30am up to three times per week, with the ability to manage repeat weekly orders until 8pm the night before delivery. The platform combines traditional milkround logistics with a modern digital ordering and tracking infrastructure.
Is Modern Milkman a public or private company?
Modern Milkman is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Modern Milkman founded?
Modern Milkman was founded in 2019. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Modern Milkman based?
Modern Milkman is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Modern Milkman make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription-based Grocery Delivery is the primary driver. The others are one-time Order Purchases and parcel Collection Service.
Who are Modern Milkman's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Milk & More, Abel & Cole and Riverford Organic Farmers. Emerging players are Farmdrop, Imperfect Foods and Misfits Market. Broad incumbents are Ocado Retail and Getir. Others are Piccolo (The Bread Factory / Northern Rye) and Salica Investments (GHF / OOH).
Does Modern Milkman have an API?
No public API is recorded for Modern Milkman.
What industry is Modern Milkman in?
Modern Milkman's product category is Online Grocery Delivery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADACAA, Milk (Fluid & Shelf-Stable), with a secondary code of CRAOABAD, Dairy & Refrigerated (Perishables) Distribution. Its NAICS code is 31151 and its SIC code is 2020.