Former pub landlord becomes Scotland's 'fastest growing milkman' with £5 million order book

Julian Terriaca, from Hamilton, set up his business, EM Dairies, after identifying a sector of the market which he felt had been neglected but offered potentially lucrative returns. He ran pubs in London for 15 years but has a strong background in the Scottish dairy trade, having worked for a number of firms.

EM - which stands for Everything Milk - focuses on the needs of businesses including small retail traders, coffee shops, cafes, garden centres, offices, factories, distilleries and children’s nurseries.

Terriaca has built up a customer base across the Central Belt and his business is said to have attracted the attention of “big operators and long-established market players”. He has already turned down a potentially lucrative offer to buy him out for £400,000 after securing an order book worth some £5 million.

The firm has also forged connections with an Edinburgh fruit and veg wholesaler. EM delivers its produce to west coast customers while in return EM’s dairy produce is distributed by the wholesaler in the east. In addition to all types of milk products, the business delivers a range of creams as well as milkshakes.

Terriaca said: “I’ve not done too badly as the new kid on the block. The B2B [business-to-business] sector has been somewhat neglected by the industry. The overwhelming majority of companies do doorstep deliveries through the night. But I was aware from speaking to many customers in the areas that I have identified and targeted that they want a different kind of more bespoke service which fits their needs.

“They don’t want to arrive at their premises to open up and find a milk order has been lying outside through the night for possibly several hours. They want fresh deliveries, made to them during their normal opening times so they can make sure everything is tip top and in great condition when they welcome our people through their doors, direct from our chillers to their premises in refrigerated vans.

“I’ve proved already the market is there and we’re just going to get busier and busier and busier,” he added.

After tracking down suitable premises, fitting it out with equipment, establishing a vehicle fleet and hiring staff, Terriaca opened the doors for business. He has secured financial support from an angel investor who is said to have been firmly behind the project since the outset, and has also gained the services of two former colleagues from the dairy trade, Robert Brown and Callum Waugh.

There is now a total of ten staff and seven vehicles, with further growth plans in the pipeline.

Terriaca added: “Other firms deliver through the night and then their vehicle fleets don’t turn a wheel during the day. Another benefit of operating while businesses are open is that our vehicles are seen out and about and it is a great form of free advertising as our name gets better known.”