The humble milk round has experienced quite the resurgence in recent years, especially in London. What was once a dwindling trade, struggling to compete with supermarket prices and convenience, began to boom. Drawn in by its green credentials, a new generation of Londoners have discovered the nostalgic pleasure of getting dairy delivered to your doorstep (it doesn't hurt that those old-fashioned milk floats are highly Instagrammable, either).
Now, all sorts of other businesses are starting to get in on the action. Here are six milk round-esque delivery services that bring everything from kombucha to bath bombs to Londoners. How many have you tried?
Charrli
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Sustainable delivery service Charrli partners with independent London brands to bring you goodies from the likes of KILO on Holloway Road, Nunhead's BYO and Re:Store in Clapton. There's a focus on sustainable beauty products here (think natural body butters and shampoo bars), but you can also order pantry items like dried fruits and olive oil, plus eco-friendly cleaning products.
Choose how often you want to replenish your stock and — in most parts of London — Charrli will deliver it accordingly in resuable or recyclable packaging, via e-bike or e-truck.
Circla
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Like Charrli, Circla is focused on sustainable beauty, stocking brands like Bramley, Upcircle and Malako. Each product comes with a recommended refill frequency, but you can adjust this according to your needs, or opt for a one-off purchase and try something new.
Circla currently delivers to all Zone 1 and Zone 2 postcodes via e-vehicle. Your goodies will be decanted into glass bottles and presented in a handsome canvas bag. Come refill day, all you need to do is leave your empties inside your bag for Circla to collect.
Hej Coffee
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Another London company seeking an end to single-use plastics is Hej Coffee. Businesses and wholesalers can buy freshly roasted coffee in reusable containers and get it delivered to their premises by the gorgeous Ernie, an orignal 1963 milk float.
Kompassion Kombucha
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Fancy joining the Kombucha Klub? Using zero-emissions cargo bikes, Kompassion Kombucha delivers a variety of flavours including Scotch bonnet, elderflower and tarragon in reusable glass bottles to the majority of London postcodes. All you have to do is remember to put your empties out on collection day.
Parker Dairies
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Ok, so this one's a bit of a cheat, because it is actually a milk round. But Parker Dairies is also a whole lot more than that. Based in Woodford Green, this independent family-owned dairy now offers a wide range of plant-based alternatives on top of cows' milk, plus artisan honey, sparkling water and even compost. We spoke to one of their milk float drivers a couple of years back — here's what he had to say about their evolving service.
Parker Dairies delivers to a variety of London postcodes - contact them via their website to see if that includes your gaff.
161 Food + Drink
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Live in south London? Like wine? You need to know about the 161 Milk Round. This Kirkdale wine shop delivers both single bottles and cases across the capital on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with free delivery for all SE and most SW postcodes. 161 Food + Drink also collects donations for Lewisham Foodbank — just leave any items you'd like to give you can find a list of what's most urgently needed here) on your doorstep, and your courier will pick it up when dropping off your plonk.
