With larger manufacturers increasingly offering 'farmhouse style' variants, it's never been more difficult for genuine artisan producers to gain a foothold in the market - especially in the face of the heavy promotional activity of some of the industry behemoths. But that hasn't stopped a number of small producers from trying.

Some, such as the recently launched 'gourmet yoghurt' Little Melton, look set to take the battle to the larger manufacturers on the shelves of the multiples, while others eschew this route altogether, preferring to go straight to consumers.

"We don't regard the big yoghurt companies as competition," says Brown Cow Organics owner Judith Freane. "They're good at what they do and they supply the multiples. We supply independent stores and we have no wish to go into the multiples in a big way we're not geared up for that."

This approach carries a number of different benefits, says Freane. "We have such a unique, artisan product and we have a unique selling point, so people are prepared to pay that little bit extra." Another operator taking a similar tack is Dorset-based Woodlands Dairy.

Crispin Tweddell, founder and owner of Woodlands Dairy, explains that today's consumers expect their food to have a transparent origin, and are turned off by overly-processed foods.

"Woodlands Dairy insists on exceptional care and husbandry techniques for its sheep," he says. "They live on natural diets and graze on rich pastures. All this contributes to keeping the yoghurt a unique product. With growing consumer expectations around the origins and methods used to make their food it is vital to keep standards high."

Focus On Yoghurts & Pot Desserts

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