New Ann Forshaw’s Milk Shed opens at SPAR Maryport

SPAR Maryport has launched an Ann Forshaw’s Milk Shed completing a hat-trick of Cumbrian stores to have one of the cow print vending machines.

The Solway Garage forecourt site on Curzon Street has launched the Milk Shed serving fresh whole milk and flavoured milkshakes and it is the sixth to open across the North of England.

Sunny weather and blue skies saw SPAR customers visiting the site in numbers at the launch, milking the vending machine for all its worth on a very busy opening day.

The Ann Forshaw’s Milk Shed at Maryport is dispensing gently pasteurised and non-homogenised fresh milk in 500ml or one litre servings, competitively priced at £1 and £1.60 respectively.

Open 24-hours-a-day, milkshakes are available too at £1.80 for a 500ml size or £2.80 for a one litre serving. They are in five delicious classic flavours of Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana, Vanilla, and Salted Caramel. A sixth Limited Edition milkshake flavour will always be on rotation to complement the core range.

At launch, the special flavour is White Chocolate, and that will be on throughout half term until Friday 30th May when Blue Raspberry flavour takes its place. Following that, Hazelnut Chocolate will then be the special flavour from the changeover on Friday 6th June.

All the milkshakes use natural flavourings and colourings where possible and do not contain the ‘Southampton Six’ food colours which have been found to have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.

Customers will also have the option to purchase Milk Shed branded reusable glass bottles at £1.80 for a 500ml or £2.20 for a one litre size, enabling repeat, plastic free purchases. Recyclable cardboard cups and paper straws offer a free, environmentally friendly alternative.

Fiona Drummond, Company Stores Director at James Hall & Co. Ltd, owner of SPAR Maryport, said: “We are really building the Ann Forshaw’s Milk Shed brand across Cumbria and we are delighted to launch the concept at Maryport after our SPAR Derwent store in Keswick in February and SPAR Milnthorpe last year.

“Since we transformed SPAR Maryport four years ago, the store has been very popular with the local community who value having such a fantastic convenience offer on their doorstep which includes a deli and a butchers’ counter.

“Several years before that, we overhauled the forecourt to modernise its features, and now we are adding an Ann Forshaw’s Milk Shed to the offer to freshen things up further.

“It is a real success story of continuous investment over many years to support the local community and we have high hopes that the fresh milk and milkshakes will be lapped up by our SPAR customers in Maryport.”

Customers can keep up to date with Milk Shed news by following the social media accounts on Instagram via the handle @annforshawsmilkshed or on Facebook at Ann Forshaw’s Milk Shed.

Ann Forshaw’s and its associated Alston Dairy was acquired by the James Hall Group of Companies in December 2022.

James Hall & Co. Ltd is a fifth-generation family business which serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base at Bowland View in Preston.

For more information about James Hall & Co. Ltd, please visit www.jameshall.co.uk.