The national awards ceremony was held in London in December by the government- backed Start Up Loans Company to celebrate the thousands of new businesses supported by the scheme’s delivery partners every year – in this case, SWIG Finance of Truro.
Green Cow Dairy’s mission is to bring dairying back to basics through a wholesome and personal approach – a bold plan considering the evolution of the milk industry over the last 20 years, but one very much in tune with current market trends.
The entrepreneurs behind the venture, Deborah Bailey and Christopher Holness secured Start Up Loans of £20,000 each alongside £15,000 of their own capital to make up the balance needed to get started.
Deborah and Christopher needed funds to buy part of an existing farm business – a milk bottling plant – enabling them to process, bottle and deliver milk directly to local households.
The milk comes from Debbie’s family herd and is processed and bottled on site in re-usable glass bottles, which are then delivered through the night to doorsteps across South East and Mid Cornwall. They also supply local shops, farm shops and campsites.
Green Cow Dairy’s motto of ‘milked today, delivered tomorrow!’ is chiming with an increasing demand from local households to get local milk fresh each morning. There are very few ‘milk miles’ from cow to customer and no plastic or packaging to be thrown away or re-cycled.
As proud advocates of natural products with minimal processing, Green Cow Diary’s cows graze on grass all year round and are only housed in the harshest weather conditions. You can even meet the cows via their Facebook page.
SWIG Finance’s Business Manager, Sarah Osborn commented “We are proud to support this exciting new Cornish business in its mission to bring the local dairy industry back to its core – fresh milk on the doorstep every morning in time for breakfast.”
“Green Cow Dairy is based upon a strong ethos of sustainability, and this refreshing idea could not have come at a better time – a time where low environmental impact is fast becoming essential and a way of life for many young people and families.”
Of the support they received, Debbie said “the Start Up Loans we received with the help of SWIG Finance has enabled us to spend more time on the business and accelerate business growth. Sarah was very supportive throughout the process”.
Richard Bearman, Managing Director at Start Up Loans, said: “Start Up Loans is here to help people like Debbie & Chris gain access to the funding and support they need to start a business. What they have achieved with Green Cow Dairy is commendable and I’m proud Start Up Loans has played a part in helping them and so many others across the country to realise their ambition of business ownership.”
Since receiving their funding, the business has gone from strength to strength with their product offering expanding to cream, butter, and organic, free range eggs.
About SWIG Finance
SWIG Finance is a people-based lender that provides loans and support to help smaller businesses in the South and West Country grow. We base our lending decisions on potential rather than collateral, which means that we can often support businesses when others can't.
We’re growing every year. In 2024/25, we lent £14.8m to 501 businesses, helping to create and secure over 1,272 jobs and generate £75.7m in social impact. Download the report here.
If you’d like an informal chat about your funding requirements, get in touch with our friendly and professional team to see how we can help: info@swigfinance.co.uk / 01872 227 930