The Modern Milkman
The Modern Milkman is a subscription-based weekly grocery delivery platform that delivers fresh milk, dairy, and local-producer goods in reusable glass bottles to households in Connecticut and Ohio, partnering with a network of 20+ regional farms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersEllington, Connecticut, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Modern Milkman does
The Modern Milkman is a subscription-based, direct-to-consumer grocery delivery platform headquartered in Ellington, Connecticut, that connects individual households with a curated network of more than 20 local farms and independent producers in the US Northeast. Customers select weekly recurring orders across milk and dairy, eggs, bakery, beverages, meat, pantry, prepared foods, coffee, and seasonal produce, with add-ons including a Porch Box storage container, Helpsy doorstep clothing/textile collections, Oakridge Farm tours, and the CT Kids Passport family-activity booklet. The service uses a temperature-controlled delivery system (products packed at 40°F in reusable insulated totes with calibrated gel ice) and operates a glass bottle return-and-reuse loop, supported by its own doorstep delivery network alongside FedEx and UPS shipping; deliveries begin at 5am with no signature required and customers can pause for up to 28 days or cancel anytime. Revenue mechanics combine recurring weekly product sales with tiered delivery fees ($9.95 under $20; $6.95 at $20+) and supplier-partnership revenue, targeting health-conscious families and busy professionals in Connecticut and Ohio. The US business was co-founded by fifth-generation Oakridge Dairy farmer Seth Bahler (now a shareholder) alongside UK co-founder Simon, with Pine Tree Dairy in Ohio joining as a 2025 regional partner building a dedicated 'Modern Milkhouse' facility.
The Modern Milkman firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Modern Milkman
- Legal name
- Modern Milkman, LLC
- Website
- https://modernmilkman.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Modern Milkman is a subscription-based weekly grocery delivery platform that delivers fresh milk, dairy, and local-producer goods in reusable glass bottles to households in Connecticut and Ohio, partnering with a network of 20+ regional farms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Modern Milkman industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Grocery Delivery
- NAICS
- Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dairy & Refrigerated (Perishables) Distribution (CRAOABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dairy & Ice Cream Refrigerated Warehousing (TLALABAD), Milk (Fluid & Shelf-Stable) (CRADACAA)
Keywords
Where The Modern Milkman is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ellington, Connecticut
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Modern Milkman business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Weekly Subscription Deliveries: Recurring weekly delivery of grocery products including milk, dairy, eggs, bakery, beverages, meat, pantry items, and prepared foods. Customers pay for products plus delivery fees. Subscription continues until cancelled with no contract required.
- Delivery Fees: Delivery fees vary by basket size: $9.95 for orders under $20, $6.95 for orders $20 and above. No minimum order required. Free to sign up.
- Supplier Partnership Revenue: Revenue from working with independent suppliers who provide products through the platform, helping them reach customers through the milkround network.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Weekly | Orders under $20 |
| Subscription | Weekly | Orders $20 and over |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Modern Milkman product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Modern Milkman is a subscription-based weekly doorstep delivery service that delivers fresh milk, dairy, eggs, bakery items, beverages, meat, pantry staples, prepared foods, coffee, breakfast items, and seasonal produce sourced from more than 20 local farms and independent producers to residential customers in Connecticut and Ohio. Customers set up recurring orders with no minimum purchase and no contract, can add one-time items, pause deliveries up to 28 days, and modify orders up to 24 hours before delivery.
Product overview
The Modern Milkman is a subscription-based grocery delivery platform that connects consumers with local farms and independent food producers. The service operates on a weekly subscription model where customers set up repeat orders for essentials and can add add-on products. Core offerings include fresh milk and cream (delivered in reusable glass bottles), dairy and eggs, juice and beverages, bakery items, meat and deli, pantry goods, prepared foods, coffee, and breakfast essentials. The platform also offers a Vegetable Box subscription with seasonal produce. Add-on services include Porch Box storage containers, Collections for doorstep recycling of clothes and textiles (partnered with Helpsy), Oakridge Farm Tours for dairy farm education, and the CT Kids Passport family activity program. Delivery fees vary by order size ($9.95 for orders under $20, $6.95 for orders $20+), and customers can pause deliveries for up to 28 days. The service sources from a network of local suppliers including Oakridge Dairy, Arethusa Farm, Cabot Creamery, LuAnn's Bakery, Hartford Baking Co., and 15+ other regional producers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fresh Milk & Cream Fresh milk and cream delivered weekly in reusable glass bottles from local farms, sourced from Oakridge Dairy. Intended for residential subscribers.
- Dairy & Eggs Local dairy products and eggs sourced from partner farms including Mitlitsky Eggs, delivered weekly to subscribers.
- Juice & Beverages Fruit juices and beverages delivered in glass bottles on a weekly subscription basis.
- Bakery & Sweets Fresh baked bread and sweet treats from local bakeries including LuAnn's Bakery and Hartford Baking Co., delivered weekly.
- Meat & Deli Meat Fresh meat and deli products from local producers, delivered on a recurring weekly basis.
- Pantry & Snacks Pantry essentials and snacks from local and regional producers, delivered weekly.
- Prepared Foods Ready-to-eat prepared meals delivered fresh as part of the weekly subscription offering.
- Coffee Essentials Coffee products including Brightside Brew, available for weekly subscription delivery.
- Breakfast Essentials Curated selection of breakfast items available for weekly subscription delivery.
- Vegetable Box Seasonal produce subscription boxes sourced from local farms such as Farm on the River in Springfield, VT.
- Porch Box (Porch Storage) Insulated doorstep storage container sold to subscribers to keep deliveries fresh when no one is home to receive them.
- Collections (Clothes, Textiles & Shoes Recycling) Doorstep clothing and textile recycling collection service operated in partnership with Helpsy, allowing customers to add textile pickups to their regular milk delivery.
- Oakridge Farm Tours Dairy farm tours at Oakridge Farm in Ellington, CT, including the milking process, cow facilities, methane digester, and calf viewing. Public tours at 9am and 11am; group tours by appointment.
- CT Kids Passport Family activity discount booklet program featuring Connecticut attractions and local businesses, sold as a subscription add-on product at $20 per passport and valid from October 2025 through October 2026.
Quantifiable outcome
- Less packaging waste through return-and-reuse glass bottle system
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Modern Milkman
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Modern Milkman technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Modern Milkman partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- HelpsycoreHelpsy is a certified B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation that serves as Modern Milkman's partner for clothing and textile collections. Customers can add clothing/textile collections to their orders, leave items on their doorstep, and drivers pass them to Helpsy for sorting. In 2024, Helpsy collected over 32 million pounds of clothes and diverted 95% from landfill. They are the only certified B Corp in clothing collection.
- Oakridge DairycoreFive-generation family farm in Ellington, CT and key founding partner. Seth Bahler, a fifth-generation dairy farmer, co-founded Modern Milkman US and became a shareholder. Oakridge supplies fresh milk and dairy products and hosts farm tours for customers.
- Pine Tree DairyminorPartner farm in Ohio that joined in 2025. Farmer Joel is building Modern Milkhouse - a facility where he will bottle his own milk from his own cows and eventually host visitors with a cafe stocked with local favorites.
- Local Suppliers NetworkcoreNetwork of 20+ local farms and producers including Arethusa Farm (dairy), Cabot Creamery (cheese), LuAnn's Bakery, Hartford Baking Co., Mitlitsky Eggs, Crystal Springs Creamery, Dam Good English Muffins, Brightside Brew, Mrs. Miller's Homemade Jams, Sourdough Haven, Top Flight Pasta, Martin's Deli, Smith's Country Cheese, Kelly's Family Foods, Between Rounds Bagels, Minerva Dairy, Stani Dairy, Zuppardi's Apizza, Walnut Creek Foods, Liuzzi Cheese, and Lyman Orchards.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Modern Milkman competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Imperfect Foods: Imperfect Foods is a subscription DTC grocer delivering produce, groceries, and dairy direct to consumers with an emphasis on sourcing from independent suppliers. Closest direct competitor to Modern Milkman's weekly subscription grocery model with comparable target customer and category breadth.
- Misfits Market: Misfits Market operates a DTC subscription delivery of sustainably sourced food (produce and groceries) with a strong anti-waste and local-farmer narrative. Direct overlap with Modern Milkman's subscription weekly delivery + supplier-direct + sustainability positioning.
- Hungry Harvest: Hungry Harvest is a subscription produce and grocery delivery service focused on sustainability and fighting food waste. Direct overlap with Modern Milkman's weekly subscription model, anti-waste positioning, and farm-direct sourcing.
- Thrive Market: Thrive Market is a membership-based DTC subscription for healthy, sustainably sourced groceries including dairy. Comparable subscription business model, sustainability positioning, and target health-conscious consumer.
Broad incumbents
- FreshDirect: FreshDirect is a regional DTC online grocer delivering fresh food, including dairy and local produce, across the Northeast US. Overlaps with Modern Milkman's geographic market (CT/NY) and core category of fresh dairy/grocery delivery.
- Daily Harvest: Daily Harvest is a DTC subscription food delivery brand offering sustainably sourced, direct-from-grower ingredients. Comparable subscription economics, sustainability positioning, and brand-led consumer targeting.
- Sun Basket: Sun Basket is a subscription meal kit and fresh food delivery service operating with DTC recurring revenue and sustainable sourcing commitments. Comparable subscription delivery business model and target health-conscious consumer.
Others
- Helpsy: Helpsy is Modern Milkman's B-Corp textile collection partner integrated into the doorstep delivery workflow. Included to illustrate the adjacent circular-economy partnership the company uses to expand ARPU without expanding SKU footprint.
- Arethusa Farm: Arethusa Farm is both a Modern Milkman supplier (dairy) and a direct-to-consumer premium dairy brand with its own retail and ordering channels. Included as a producer-side counterpart demonstrating the vertical the platform aggregates.
Regional players
- MilkRun: MilkRun operated a subscription DTC hub-and-spoke delivery of local farm products (dairy, eggs, produce) in Portland/PNW. Conceptual and operational twin to Modern Milkman's farm-direct subscription model, though focused on the Pacific Northwest.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Modern Milkman social profiles
Digital presenceThe Modern Milkman financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Modern Milkman leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Modern Milkman funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Modern Milkman M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Modern Milkman
What does The Modern Milkman do?
The Modern Milkman is a subscription-based weekly doorstep delivery service that delivers fresh milk, dairy, eggs, bakery items, beverages, meat, pantry staples, prepared foods, coffee, breakfast items, and seasonal produce sourced from more than 20 local farms and independent producers to residential customers in Connecticut and Ohio. Customers set up recurring orders with no minimum purchase and no contract, can add one-time items, pause deliveries up to 28 days, and modify orders up to 24 hours before delivery.
Is The Modern Milkman a public or private company?
The Modern Milkman is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Modern Milkman founded?
The Modern Milkman was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Modern Milkman based?
The Modern Milkman is headquartered in Ellington, Connecticut, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Modern Milkman make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Weekly Subscription Deliveries are the primary driver. The others are delivery Fees and supplier Partnership Revenue.
Who are The Modern Milkman's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Imperfect Foods, Misfits Market, Hungry Harvest and Thrive Market. Broad incumbents are FreshDirect, Daily Harvest and Sun Basket. Others are Helpsy and Arethusa Farm. MilkRun is listed as a regional player.
Does The Modern Milkman have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Modern Milkman.
What industry is The Modern Milkman in?
The Modern Milkman's product category is Online Grocery Delivery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOABAD, Dairy & Refrigerated (Perishables) Distribution, with a secondary code of TLALABAD, Dairy & Ice Cream Refrigerated Warehousing. Its NAICS code is 424430 and its SIC code is 2020.