The Ethical Dairy

What The Ethical Dairy does

The Ethical Dairy (legal entity Finlay's Farm Limited) operates Rainton Farm in Gatehouse of Fleet, southwest Scotland, and is the first commercial dairy in the UK to produce milk at scale using a cow-with-calf system, in which calves remain with their mothers to suckle for 5-6 months. The 125-cow closed herd (expanding to ~135) is Soil Association Certified Organic and follows pasture-based, cereal-free ecological farming practices, supported by a custom auto-tandem milking parlour with front-mounted milking machines and an environmental microbial inoculation protocol that reduces antibiotic use. The farm converts this differentiated milk into artisan unpasteurised cheeses (Carrick, Bluebell, Cheddar, Rainton Tomme, Fleet Valley Blue, plus limited releases), an organic ice cream range launched in 2019, farm tours and educational events, and the 2025 memoir 'A Dairy Story'.

Revenue is generated through direct-to-consumer e-commerce (cheese subscriptions, taster and selection packs, gift boxes) with overnight courier delivery, wholesale distribution via five UK specialty wholesalers (Clarks Speciality Foods, Cress Co, Greencity Wholefoods, Organic North, The Cheese Merchant), a partnership with Abel & Cole for online organic grocery delivery, and a dedicated ice cream distributor reaching farm shops, delis and speciality retailers. Pricing sits at £40-44/kg for cheese with free delivery over £50. Customer segments are ethical/sustainable food consumers, artisan food retailers and farm shops, and the hospitality sector (hotels and restaurants).

The business is privately held, founder-led by David and Wilma Finlay with master cheesemaker Stephen Palmer, and has been financed through personal investment and two small crowdfunding rounds (~£50k each in 2018 and 2022), with grant support from Scotland's Regional Food Fund and the Dumfries & Galloway LEADER programme. It holds multiple certifications (Soil Association Organic, Pasture for Life, Production Without Antibiotics, Living Wage, SME Climate Pledge) and has won BBC Food & Farming Awards, CEVA Animal Welfare Awards, VIBES and multiple cheese competition medals.

Name

The Ethical Dairy

Legal name

Finlay's Farm Limited

Website

https://theethicaldairy.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Ethical Dairy (Finlay's Farm Limited) operates Rainton Farm in southwest Scotland, producing artisan unpasteurised cheeses and organic ice cream from a 125-cow herd raised under a pioneering cow-with-calf dairy system. It sells through its own e-commerce site, cheese subscriptions, UK specialty wholesalers, the Abel & Cole partnership, and dedicated ice cream distribution, serving ethical food consumers, artisan retailers and hospitality.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheese

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic Dairy Cattle Production (AFAEAMAB), Organic & Specialty-Claim Fluid Milk Processing (Organic, A2, Grass-Fed) (AFAHAAAH)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese production
• Organic dairy farming
• Cow with calf dairy
• Farm tours experiences
• Artisan ice cream

Headquarters

HQ city

Castle Douglas

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Artisan Cheese Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling handmade organic cheeses (Rainton Tomme, Carrick, Bluebell, Cheddar, Fleet Valley Blue, Laganory, Barolocco Blue) through direct online sales, subscriptions, and wholesale distribution. Cheeses made from unpasteurised milk from their cow with calf dairy farm.
2. Cheese Subscriptions: Monthly recurring cheese subscription deliveries direct to consumer doors, providing predictable recurring revenue.
3. Organic Ice Cream: Launched organic ice cream in 2019, flavoured with natural ingredients. Available in 500ml retail tubs and 100ml individual tubs. Distributed through farm shops, delis, and speciality retailers via a dedicated distributor.
4. Book Sales: 'A Dairy Story' memoir by Wilma and David Finlay about their farm transformation. Sold through their website and available for wholesale to retailers interested in stocking the book.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Ethical Dairy produces traditional artisan cheeses made with organic milk from its own herd at Rainton Farm using a pioneering cow with calf dairy farming system. Its core offerings include a range of unpasteurised and gently pasteurised cheeses (Carrick, Bluebell, Cheddar, Rainton Tomme, Fleet Valley Blue), monthly cheese subscriptions, organic ice cream in four flavours, the founders' memoir 'A Dairy Story', and educational farm tours.

Product overview

The Ethical Dairy is a single-brand producer offering artisan cheeses made from organic milk produced using their pioneering cow with calf dairy farming system. Their product portfolio includes core cheese products (Carrick, Bluebell, Cheddar, Rainton Tomme, Fleet Valley Blue), cheese subscription services, and organic ice cream. They also publish a memoir book ('A Dairy Story') and offer farm tours. All products are produced at their Rainton Farm location in Scotland using milk from their own herd where calves remain with their mothers to suckle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cream o' Galloway: A luxury ice cream brand and family visitor centre previously operated by the Finlays, which predated The Ethical Dairy brand.

Products and services

• Carrick A traditional handmade farmhouse cheese with a deep, nutty and earthy flavour, made with raw organic milk from the cow with calf dairy and matured on wooden shelves for around 9 months. Winner of the Sean Wilson Trophy at the 2024 Mid-Somerset Cheese Awards.
• Bluebell A semi-soft blue cheese made from gently pasteurised organic cow's milk from the cow with calf dairy, with sweet, savoury and steely blue characteristics and a rich, creamy texture. Winner of 'Best Product Award' at Scotland's Speciality Food Show 2019 and Gold award at the 2024 Mid-Somerset Cheese Awards.
• Cheddar A traditional farmhouse cheddar, tangy, rich and with a satisfying bite, made with unpasteurised milk from the cow with calf organic dairy farm and matured slowly for around 9 months. Available in 500g and 150g wedges at £40 per kg.
• Rainton Tomme A rustic, mellow, well-rounded hand-made unpasteurised hard cheese with a natural rind, aged between 3 and 7 months. Silver medal winner at the 2018 Artisan Cheese Awards at Melton Mowbray.
• Fleet Valley Blue A blue cheese infused with depth and character, produced at the Rainton Farm dairy from organic milk from the cow with calf herd, stocked by Abel & Cole for home delivery.
• Cheese Subscriptions Monthly cheese subscription service delivering a regular order of cheese from The Ethical Dairy direct to customers' doors, including monthly cheese club boxes featuring the cheese range.
• Selection Packs Pre-assembled Taster Packs, Mini Taster Packs and Selection Packs available for online purchase, offering a variety of Ethical Dairy cheeses in one box with free delivery.
• Organic Ice Cream Organic ice cream made with milk from the cow with calf dairy farm, flavoured with natural ingredients. Four flavours: Pure & Simple, Lemon Curd, Mango & Banana, and Choc & Ginger. Available in 500ml retail tubs and 100ml individual tubs with compostable packaging, distributed via a dedicated distributor to farm shops, delis, and speciality retailers.
• A Dairy Story A memoir by Wilma and David Finlay documenting the transformation of Rainton Farm and the development of the cow with calf dairy farming system. Available for retail sale via the website and for wholesale to retailers interested in stocking the book.
• Farm Tours Educational farm tours and in-depth talk-and-tour events at Rainton Farm explaining the cow with calf dairy farming system, ethical and ecological approach to farming, and sustainable food production.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cows live twice as long as conventional dairy herds (average 9 years, oldest 20 years)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Abel & ColecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 17 February 2020Organic food delivery service stocking The Ethical Dairy cheeses (Carrick, Laganory, Rainton Tomme, Fleet Valley Blue) for home delivery to customers in their delivery areas, launching February 2020.
• Peelham FarmflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018Collaboration for the Ethical Farming Conference in May 2019. Peelham Farm is based in Scottish Borders and leads on ethical value propositions.
• WhitmuirflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018Collaboration for the Ethical Farming Conference in May 2019. Whitmuir is based in Scottish Borders and leads on ethical value propositions.
• Mossgiel FarmflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018Collaboration for the Ethical Farming Conference in May 2019. Mossgiel Farm is based in Ayrshire and leads on ethical value propositions. Also supplies organic milk in glass bottles for the conference.
• Clarks Speciality FoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distributor for The Ethical Dairy cheeses, supplying independent retailers and food service businesses.
• Cress CocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distributor for The Ethical Dairy cheeses, supplying independent retailers and food service businesses.
• Greencity WholefoodscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale cooperative distributing The Ethical Dairy cheeses to independent retailers.
• Organic NorthcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distributor specializing in organic products, distributing The Ethical Dairy cheeses.
• The Cheese MerchantcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialist cheese wholesaler distributing The Ethical Dairy artisan cheeses.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mossgiel Farm: Organic dairy farm in Ayrshire, Scotland, with a strong ethical and sustainability positioning and direct-to-consumer glass-bottle milk. Closely comparable to The Ethical Dairy on geography, values, organic certification, and DTC/wholesale hybrid model; explicitly identified as a strategic collaborator on the Ethical Farming Conference.
• Isle of Mull Cheese: Scottish artisan cheesemaker producing handmade cheese on a small Hebridean farm. Directly comparable as an artisan, farm-based, unpasteurised/traditional cheesemaker, and is the previous employer of The Ethical Dairy's master cheesemaker Stephen Palmer.
• Peelham Farm: Organic, regenerative farm in the Scottish Borders producing artisan charcuterie, meat, and other farm products with an explicit ethical farming value proposition. Highly comparable on the ethical-farming positioning, and an identified collaborator with The Ethical Dairy on the Ethical Farming Conference.
• Sharpham Cheese: Devon-based artisan cheesemaker producing a range of traditional and unpasteurised cheeses on a working estate farm. Comparable as a UK farmstead cheesemaker with premium positioning, multiple cheese varieties, DTC and farm-shop distribution.
• Quicke's Cheddar: Devon farmhouse cheddar maker producing traditionally cloth-bound, slow-matured cheddar from a family farm with strong premium and provenance credentials. Comparable as a UK farmhouse cheesemaker competing in the premium aged-cheddar category, including with Carrick and Cheddar variants.
• Appleby's Cheese: UK artisan cheesemaker producing traditional unpasteurised farmhouse cheeses from a single Shropshire farm, including award-winning blue and hard varieties. Comparable as a small-scale, award-winning unpasteurised UK cheesemaker selling through farm shop, deli, and DTC channels.

Regional players

• Loch Arthur Creamery: Camphill community farm and cheesemaker in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, producing organic cheeses and dairy. Directly comparable as a small organic dairy and cheesemaker in the same Scottish region, with a strong values-driven, community-led positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Yeo Valley: Largest UK organic dairy brand, with a wide range of organic yogurts, milk, and cheeses sold through major retailers. Comparable on the organic certification and scale of organic dairy production, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader distribution than The Ethical Dairy.
• Wyke Farms: One of the UK's largest independent cheddar and dairy producers, with extensive mainstream and export distribution. Comparable in the UK cheddar category but at materially larger scale and broader retail penetration.

Others

• Neals Yard Dairy: London-based specialist affineur and retailer of artisan British and Irish cheeses, with a curated farm-cheese counter and online shop. Comparable as a specialist route-to-market for UK farmhouse cheeses, including those with strong provenance and welfare stories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theethicaldairy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHptUGecLa54vWN3qUnOMiQ/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/EthicalDairy
• Instagraminstagram.com/theethicaldairy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ethical-dairy

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Ethical Dairy