Coupon: Back by popular demand!

The 50p off Modern Milk coupon is now back on our website and Facebook page following high levels of demand!

The coupon is for use in Tesco Extra and is valid until 25th December.

To download your free 50p off coupon visit http://www.facebook.com/modernmilk

Seven Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Milk

When it comes to milk, we like to think that we know a thing or two; or at least you would hope. Much of this knowledge would send even the most avid dairy fan to sleep, however, there are a few interesting facts that we couldn’t go another minute without sharing. From the humble beginnings, to the bizarre, be prepared for a little trivia that could help you win a pub quiz or two.

It All Began In Asia

Following the domestication of many animals and the beginnings of agriculture, humans independently began to discover milk across the globe. It is thought that Southwest Asia were first to sample the dairy drink as early as 9000-7000BC. History indicates that British farmers didn’t begin milking their animals for another 3000 years (4000BC).

Louis Pasteur – The Dairy Godfather

You may have already guessed from his name, Pasteur was the brains behind the preservation of milk. Treating food with heat as a means of preservation was nothing new by the time that the term “pasteurisation” was coined in the late 1800’s, however, Pasteur’s research successfully determined the temperature at which harmful bacteria in milk would be killed, without compromising its taste. Doubtless, Pasteur’s studies changed the way the world thought about milk, not only eradicating it of harmful diseases such as tuberculosis but also extending its shelf life.

The Cows Have Competition

You’ve probably seen goats milk in your local supermarket, but have you ever considered sampling the milk of camels, donkeys, horses, reindeer, sheep, water buffalo or yak? Just in case you thought these supplies were going untried, we can confirm that India consumed 59,210,000 tonnes of buffalo milk in 2007!

Camel’s Milk – Good For Diabetics

Believe it or not, camel’s milk contains high levels of insulin & other antibodies that help naturally regulate blood sugar levels. It’s amazing to see some of the research conducted around camels milk & diabetes control. One such study by scientists at the Diabetes Care and Research Centre, SP Medical College Bikaner, claims that drinking camels milk daily could supplement 60-70% of insulin intake by type 1 diabetics.

Milk – The Best Drink In The World [Fact]

Milk contains more natural nutrients than any other drink in the world! Aside from providing a huge range of health benefits, Modern Milk includes calcium, phosphorous, potassium, riboflavin, vitamins , B12, D, magnesium, fibre, carbohydrate & zinc. That’s a lot of dairy goodness squeezed into one 330ml carton and we’ve even added extra calcium, vitamin D and fibre too. If that wasn’t tempting enough, for a limited time only you can save 50p on a bottle of Modern Milk at selected Tesco stores by printing our online voucher.

Chocolate Milk – A Sports Recovery Drink

Sportsmen and women could be forgiven for reaching for the isotonic drinks made popular in the 80’s and 90’s to refuelling post exercise. However, in recent years there have been scores of studies supporting the benefits of milk as being a more effective alternative. One such study by James Madison University in the USA found that footballers that consumed chocolate milk as a post exercise recovery drink showed increased resistance to muscle damage. These findings are echoed by similar studies that claim athletes can train up to a third longer than those sipping isotonic energy drinks. Stay tuned for our scientific experiment using Modern Milk as a substitute for Gatorade.

Udder Madness!

A cows udder can hold anything between 11-22kg of milk, depending on the size and breed of course. To put this into perspective, a single cow can yield up to 90 glasses of milk per day; we’re guessing that’s more than you could drink?

Do you know any more fun facts about milk? We’d love to hear from you. Oh, and if any of these tips help you win your local pub quiz, be sure not to forget us…

50p off Modern Milk

We are currently offering a 50p off Modern Milk coupon, for use in selected Tesco Extra stores.

With the new 99p price-tag this means you'll be able to get your favourate flavoured milk drink for only 49p!

To download, print or share the coupon, visit the Modern Milk Facebook page

Wireless Festival 2011; The Insider’s View Amidst the Lights, Cameras and Action

Dub-Step and Dance, outrageous outfits, horrific hairstyles and of course...healthy flavoured milk; It’s been another unforgettable Party!

I am a style-conscious music aficionado seeking a weekend of sweltering heat, hedonism and hell-raising. On July 2^nd 2011 I became the proud owner of one of the hottest tickets in town; an exclusive backstage guest-pass to the Wireless festival; a whirlwind of sun-seeking revellers, uber-cool outfits, tanned and tattooed torsos, risqué performances (and even riskier hairstyles) and a mouth-watering line-up of the crème de la crème in R & B, indie, dub-step and dance.

I was the fly on the wall bringing you an exclusive sneak peek at the backstage drama, behind-the-scenes gossip and the antics of sambuka-soaked performers and revellers of Hyde Park.

For the ultra-cool and sophisticated reveller, a 25-ton military truck had been converted into a sleek and sultry sub-zero Jager ice-bar and a secluded Beauty and the Beats zone was transforming grime into glamour with a series of jaw-dropping makeovers. Superdrug and Remington were on-hand to provide some urgently-needed “style tutorials” for fashion-challenged music-lovers. A stream of bedraggled festival-goers, were churned out of the Remington Style Bar (a sort of magic celebrity-manufacturing machine) sporting weird and wonderful hairstyles, mirroring the celebrity trends of the moment.

But a new attraction hailing from the Emerald Isle was creating a stir among the sophisticated, health-conscious Hyde Park hedonist. A white banner promising a blend of smooth and exotic flavours aimed at a more fashion-conscious milk-drinker, “with love from Ireland”, was soon drawing in troupes of young women and their curious male companions. Festival-goers could be seen posing for photographs with a Taste of Summer competition and sampling the range of silky-smooth milk flavours, from a summery strawberry to a sultry chocolate. The healthy message was gradually wafting out into the festival atmosphere and produced the bizarre scene of drunken revellers with a cup of Wagner’s Golden Draught in one hand, and a cup of fibre-rich, low-fat milk in the other!

Tired festival-goers could be seen taking a break from their grass-stained towels, and relaxing on rather luxurious cow bean-bags, at the foot of the Modern Milk Bar, merging fashion, glamour and a non-alcoholic milk drink into one, as only the Irish can.

There was a distinctly bohemian vibe oozing from the rhythmically pulsating sea of straw hats, gravity-defying hair-styles, denim hot-pants and sandals this year. Elite Model London’s talent scouts were spoilt for choice as parades of toned, tanned and flamboyant young women swayed and glistened in the festive heat.

The more attentive celebrity-spotters with guest passes, may even have caught sight of Prince Wills mingling with the more chilled and stylised crowds in the Guest Area, avoiding the more highly-charged crowds thronging the Main Stage, where the performances were rapidly setting temperatures soaring. Keisha’s ultra-risque performance was characteristically close-to-the-bone; the aspiring rock and roll bad girl took to the stage in blue lipstick, ripped stockings and a Stars and Stripes top (clearly chosen to reveal rather than conceal), chomped on a mock human leg while singing Cannibal, contorted her serpentine hips into some weird and wonderful (and daring) dance moves, was drowned in glitter by semi-clad dancers and then drenched in fake blood; a performance which was something of an unholy fusion between the Satanic Sluts, Courtney Love (at her worst), Christina Aguilera in Dirty, and Lady Gaga in one of her more tasteless moods!

Chase and Status, silhouetted against the setting sun, injected a dose of hyperactive aggression into the festival mood, transforming the heaving hedonists into an explosion of colour, sound and rhythm, as flashy festival-goers were hoisted atop shoulders, the crowd rose and surged to an adrenaline-fuelled performance of their greatest party-shakers.

Mike Skinner, leading the Saturday line-up, launched into a characteristically grimy performance; standing astride the Main Stage speakers, he had the swaying masses in the palm of his hand, screaming “Don’t move from this spot” before ripping through a host of the street classics that left such an indelible mark on the London urban scene, and then ripping off his shirt to reveal a freshly-ripped physique to the delight of a swooning army of female festival-goers.

A sprightly Grace Jones later provided some unintentional hilarity, rolling back the years and pulling some unholy shapes, as the 63-year-old hula-hooped across stage, with an athleticism that would put many of the vibrant youth to shame.

The stage costumes ranged from sophisticated to shocking. Competing with Jarvis Cocker’s obligatory over-sized rimmed glasses and tie, and Keisha’s shredded, gore-soaked attire, Chromeo opted for the sleek and smooth black leather-jacket and Katy B looked resplendent in a flowing dress. The on-stage antics continued to match the costumes for shock value; during Chromeo’s act the stage was invaded with a rather larger-than-life inflatable penis, giving the impression the Main Stage had been turned into a hen party in Brighton.

The festival even featured its own bona fide geek-spot; a Nintendisco, enveloping party-goers in something of a gaming time-warp, with live fully-3D multi-player battles in a Surround Sound tent throbbing to the crash and clang of old classic Ninety soundtracks; possibly one to avoid for the female festival-goers.

It was hard to pick a highlight; from Katy B’s hairstyle, to Grace Jones’s heroic hula-hooping efforts, from on-stage cannibalism, to crowd-surfing hens, it’s been another quiet festival in Hyde Park.

Let’s hope they can go really wild next time...

Royal Ascot Ladies Day: The 2011 Hat Report

Hats Made from Hair, The World’s Most Fashion-Conscious Horse and a Delicious (and drinkable) Milk Hat: Just Another Day at Royal Ascot.

I am a fashionista, socialite and connoisseur of style, and Royal Ascot is my spiritual home. The air throbs with glamour, style and joie de vivre here at the peak of the summer social circuit. I feel at home, among the eccentric, the exotic and the effervescent.

With the world’s greatest milliners seeking to showcase their creations, each year eclipses the last. And this year’s Ladies Day promises some spectacular hat surprises.

I joined the regal and the royal, on the 16^th July 2011, to celebrate 300 years of fabulous hats, high society and horses. I came to enjoy the stylish company, and exhilarating races and to answer the all-important question on everyone’s lips...who had the best hat?

Ascot was once again transformed into a sea of weird and wonderful hats and colours like a dazzling array of peacocks, ranging from the bizarre to the beautiful, each prepared to go to any extreme to out-shine the other. It is a porthole into a world of glamour, gossip and shameless self-promotion.

On the first day, Princess Beatrice looked stunning, arriving in horse-drawn carriage among the cigars, brass bands and fashionable frivolity.

The first surprise was Ascot’s first ever hat created for a horse! A hat modelled on Audrey Hepburn’s My Fair Lady, for a particularly risque and fashion-conscious horse named Amber.

The milliners were going all-out this year to make the most impressive hats from the most unusual materials. One hat was entirely composed of fake hair and cabbage roses, while a spectacular and rather unwieldy two-foot creation was made of blonde hair and pink and green roses. Poor hat model Anneka Tanneka Svenska was barely able to keep it upright, despite being a trained ballerina!

But Ladies Day had an even greater style surprise in store this year, with Ascot’s first drinkable hat.

The revolutionary headpiece, the brainchild of world-renowned milliner Judy Bentinck in association with Lakeland Dairies, managed to achieve the unthinkable and outdo Ascot’s most fine-plumed attention-seekers.

Aimee Nazroo, an up-and-coming glamour model and fashion queen tipped for future stardom, shone among the fashion-conscious crowds, in her wonderful hat, complimented with a subtly stylish, cutting-edge milk-silk and satin dress, to continue the milk theme.

Miss Nazroo’s hat, composed of an intricately-layered mesh, was wrapped in satin and highly sought-after “milk silk”, a soft and luxurious material so rare that only two companies in the world have ever made it. The hat was designed to replicate one of sophisticated new glamour-milk brand Modern Milk’s cartons.

But there was more to this hat than meets the eye.

Curious race-goers swarming around the unusual spectacle discovered this particular milk hat was drinkable, and this wasn’t just any milk, but (in-keeping with the occasion), slightly unusual, and a little exotic, with just a dash of sophistication.

In bizarre scenes, a beautiful women was photographed topping up her glass for a refreshing drink poured from a hidden tube connected to a pump inside the hat, from which flowed the luxurious flavoured milk clearly aimed at the healthy, stylish and sophisticated drinker; low-fat milk ripe strawberry and raspberry, gave an unusually healthy flavour to an Ascot famed for champagne and cigars. If there were an award for Greatest Hat 2011, it would surely go to the Milk Hat.

From the truly weird to the truly wonderful, I thought I had seen everything at Royal Ascot. But glamour and milk in the same sentence? And even in the same hat?

Once upon a time people came here for the horses; now they come for the hats; and even the horses have got in on the act. Let’s see if next year’s millinery extravagance can top 2011. See you there.

Thinking Differently Hero: Tim Berners-Lee

Facebook has inspired an Oscar nominated film, Twitter is being used to crowdsource radiation levels in Japan and the Royal Wedding is to be streamed live around the world. The internet is now woven seamlessly into our every-day lives, but none of this would have been possible without the work of a gentleman from London.

Tim Berners-Lee built his first computer using a soldering iron, TTL gates, an M6800 processor and an old television whilst he was a young man studying for a degree in Physics at Oxford University. On graduating he went on to work for companies involved in developing barcodes and data transfer technologies, but the world changed when he perfected his 1989 brainwave of the creation of a global information space.

Inspired by his then employer’s clunky internal communication system Berners-Lee imagined a tool that would allow researchers from across the world to access and gather information and data. Research could be made available in days rather than months and scientists from across the world could effortlessly contribute suggestions and input into other scientist’s findings speeding up the whole scientific process.

Finally in Tim Berners-Lee wrote the languages that made this information transfer possible: HTML, HTTP, and URL. With all this in place Berners-Lee still had no official interest in the project, but soldiered ahead and in 1991 set up the first web server for his employer CERN. Info.cern.ch was the address of the world's first-ever web site and web server, running on a NeXT computer at CERN. The first web page address was http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html, centred on information regarding the “World Wide Web project.” Visitors could learn more about hypertext, technical details for creating their own webpage, and even an explanation on how to search the Web for information. As interest from around the world increased and other people set up their own web servers. Berners-Lee linked all the web spaces to his own and the internet as we know it began to form.

Unlike a lot of computer entrepreneurs Berners-Lee did not attempt to make money from his invention. He made his idea available freely, with no patent and no royalties due so that it could easily be adopted by anyone and in 2008 he became the Director of the World Wide Web Foundation, in an effort to fund and coordinate efforts to further the potential of the Web to benefit society.

That’s some impressive Thinking.

Thinking Differently Hero: Jamie Oliver

From transforming attitudes about children’s food, to demystifying complicated recipes; whether you love him or hate him you have to admit that Jamie Oliver has achieved a great deal.

An Essex boy whose first taste of the culinary world was helping out in his parent’s pub, Jamie Oliver is now a global brand. His laddish, accessible cooking tips are now available from England to South America. His books have been translated into 23 languages and have sold over 21 million copies.

Leaving school at 16 with no qualifications Jamie worked in restaurant kitchens before his simple style brought him to the attention of the BBC at the age of 24. Within the year ‘The Naked Chef’ had a successful television show, his cookery book became a UK best seller and he was invited to cook for the Prime Minister.

But rather than sticking to life as a chef, Jamie thought differently by expanding his business interests, investing in new media ventures, property and food companies, and then took the biggest leap of all in 2002 with the risky decision to fund The Fifteen Foundation. Without telling his new wife, Jamie took a second mortgage out on the family home to set up the charity which aimed to take 15 disadvantaged youngsters and transform them into chefs and restaurateurs – there are now a string of successful graduates and three Fifteen restaurants across the globe.

With the thriving Fifteen under his belt, Jamie did not sit on his laurels. Jamie funnelled his energies into altering attitudes towards the unhealthy British School Dinners, aiming to transform the fatty stodge served up to the nation’s children to nutrient rich fresh food. After months of political campaigning the government agreed to pledged to spend £280m on improving school dinners and the young chef was named "Most Inspiring Political Figure of 2005" in the Channel 4 Political Awards. And now he’s turning his hand to inspiring low academic achievers like himself to engage with their education in Jamie’s Dream School.

Jamie Oliver could have stayed a successful television chef, enjoying the success of his Italian restaurant chain, and yet, on top of that he has used his passion and energy for food in an attempt to transform lives. And there’s only one thing that we can say about this level of Thinking Differently: Pukka!

Thinking Differently Hero: Heston Blumenthal

Heston Blumenthal. Even his name inspires thoughts of culinary artistry – and in the hospitality word, he is the embodiment of Thinking Differently.

His restaurant, The Fat Duck, in Bray, Berkshire has three Michelin stars and has been voted the best restaurant in the UK for the last four years. Whilst these are amazing achievements by themselves it becomes even more so when you realise that Chef Blumenthal is self-taught.

At the age of 16, Heston experienced his first taste of Michelin starred dining and from that moment, longed to be a chef. He spent his evenings cooking classical French dishes in order to harness the best from his food. He worked as a photocopier salesman and debt collector in order to finance trips to France visiting restaurants and wine estates where he would absorb as much as possible about flavours and gastronomy. His creativity and passion meant that aside from a week's work experience in Raymond Blanc's kitchen and a short time in Marco Pierre White's, Heston taught himself the tools of his trade.

Experimenting with the science of the kitchen, Heston followed his natural curiosity testing established culinary rules, seeing which could be bent, and which others could be broken. Finally in 1995 Heston gathered together his savings and purchased a dark and pokey building in the tiny village of Bray. With an outside toilet, a tiny kitchen and a terrible reputation, it was not the ideal location for a restaurant, but it was here that Heston opened his first restaurant.

On the second day the oven exploded, and it soon became clear that the gas pipes weren’t big enough to boil the culinary vats of water… but the restaurant started getting great reviews. It was then that Heston started applying scientific techniques to the wider restaurant experience incorporating flavours and sensations approaching cuisine as a scientist. The result of his ongoing experimentation and creativity was that in 2005 the pokey little ‘bistro’ was declared the Best Restaurant in the World by Restaurant magazine.

Heston Blumenthal, with his signature dishes of snail porridge, bacon ice cream and parsnip cereal, is truly a culinary pioneer. He has a collection of Michelin starred restaurants that push boundaries, a BAFTA nominated television programme under his belt, a string of popular cookery books and a loyal following of fans. Not bad for a Chef with no training…

Tesco Sampling: 10th and 12th February

We had some fantastic feedback from the Modern Milk that was sampled up and down the country last week, and we're pleased to announce another 50 stores are taking part in sampling on the 10th and 12th February.

So if you're out and about, and in your local Tesco store keep your eyes peeled for the team of instore taster who will be on hand to help you taste Banana and Honey and Coffee and Vanilla flavours.

(And don't forget you can still all four of the Modern Milk flavours at McColls for £1 until the 14th February!)

Thursday 10th February 2011

Bristol Goldenhill

Broadstairs Extra

Cambridge Newmarket Road

Chorley Extra

Crawley Hazelwick

Edgbaston

Fulbourn Cherry Hinton

Gallions Reach

Gillingham Kent

Gloucester

Halifax Aachen Way

Hemel Hempstead

Irlam Extra

Kidderminster

Lowestoft Pleasurewood

Newport Gwent Extra

North Shields Extra

Nottingham Carlton

Osterley

Peterborough Extra

Ponders End Extra

Pontypridd

Reading Extra

Sheffield Abbeydale

Stroud

Saturday 12th February 2011

Amersham

Ashford Crooksfoot Extra

Ashford Middlesex

Basingstoke

Bedford Cardington Road

Bishops Stortford

Borehamwood Extra

Bristol East Extra

Cambridge Bar Hill Extra

Cheshunt Extra

Culverhouse Cross Extra

Folkestone

Hastings Extra

Lewisham

Milton

Pitsea Extra

Purley Extra

Romford Extra

Sidcup

Southend Extra

Stevenage Extra

Surrey Quays

Warrington Extra

Wembley Extra

Weston Favell Extra

Thinking Differently Hero: Leonardo Da Vinci

We couldn’t write a series about our ‘Thinking Differently Heroes’ and not include one of history’s most famous and influential thinkers: Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci.

Widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time, Da Vinci’s talents far extended the reach of his paintbrush - even if that paintbrush did craft the Mona Lisa.

The illegitimate son of a wealthy nobleman, and with no formal education, Da Vinci became perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived.

Although he is known primarily as a painter Da Vinci in fact left less than 30 completed works, and during his life was known primarily as an engineer and inventor. He conceptualised the helicopter, the tank, and the calculator hundreds of years before they were officially ‘invented.’ He outlined a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics, invented musical instruments, hydraulic pumps, reversible crank mechanisms, and even a steam cannon.

Even with his life choices Da Vinci thought differently – he was a vegetarian, very unusual for the renaissance era when banquets were very popular. But even his vegetarianism didn’t stop him from dissecting bodies to study anatomy and to map out where the human soul was located. Nor did it stop him from accepting a job as a military engineer, improving and inventing a variety of siege weaponry.

Even his art didn’t escape his experimentation. Rather than sticking with established techniques Da Vinci played around with the mix of his paints and canvas. He was one of the first artists in Italy to use oil paints instead of egg tempera, enjoying the freedom it gave him to rework a painting even creating his own recipe for oil paints.

In almost every area of his life he thought differently, assessing problems from different angles and looking for new solutions. Leonardo da Vinci is one of the greatest minds ever to have lived – and so sir, we at Modern Milk salute you!

Modern Milk: Now in a Tesco near you

We’re pleased that so many people have told us that they enjoy Modern Milk on our Facebook page, but this isn’t enough for us! We’re working hard to make sure that everyone who wants to buy our fabulous flavours has the opportunity. So we’re delighted to announce that, as of last week, Banana & Honey and Coffee & Vanilla are both available at 270 selected Tesco stores across the country! And if you pick up a Tesco in-store magazine you’ll save yourself 30p with the voucher inside!

And, if that wasn’t exciting enough, for the next few weeks you may even get to taste Modern Milk when you do your grocery shopping. Tesco will also be offering samples of both flavours across a selection of their stores, so checking the list below for a date near you.

If you are a Chocolate & Caramel or Strawberry & Raspberry fan don’t be disheartened about your favourite flavour being absent from Tesco’s shelves – try Banana or Coffee instead, we promise that they are just as delicious! Don’t forget that all four flavours are still available at selected McColl’s stores.

Check out our full list of stockists on our website and if your local store doesn’t stock your favourite Modern Milk, why not ask them to get some in? And make sure you sign up to our Facebook page to keep up to date with all the latest news: www.facebook.com/modernmilk

Where to sample Modern Milk in Tesco stores this week:

Thursday 27th January:

Amersham
Ashford Crooksfoot Extra
Basingstoke
Bedford Cardington Road
Bishops Stortford
Borehamwood Extra
Bournemouth Extra
Brent Park
Bristol East Extra
Brooklands Extra
Cambridge Bar Hill Extra
Cheshunt Extra
Culverhouse Cross Extra
Dover
Eastbourne Extra
Hastings Extra
Lunsford Park Extra
Northampton South Extra
Pitsea Extra
Prestwich
Purley Extra
Southend Extra
Surrey Quays
Swindon Extra
Weston Favell Extra

Saturday 29th January:


Bristol Goldenhill
Broadstairs Extra
Cambridge Newmarket Road
Chorley Extra
Crawley Hazelwick
Edgbaston
Fulbourn Cherry Hinton
Gallions Reach
Gillingham Kent
Gloucester
Halifax Aachen Way
Hemel Hempstead
Irlam Extra
Kidderminster
Lowestoft Pleasurewood
Newport Gwent Extra
North Shields Extra
Nottingham Carlton
Osterley
Peterborough Extra
Ponders End Extra
Pontypridd
Reading Extra
Sheffield Abbeydale
Stroud

Thinking Differently Heroes: Alastair Cook

The Ashes triumph still has England buzzing, and whilst the England cricket team played spectacularly it is a young man from Gloucester who has been credited with most of the glory.

It’s hard to believe that a columnist for the Daily Telegraph and the Metro, and a trained saxophonist who has contributed to the score for a children’s animated TV series, is the same man who holds the record as the only Englishman to score seven Test centuries before his 23rd birthday.

During the five tests of the 2010 – 2011 Ashes, 26 year old Alastair Cook set a new world record for the total number of batting hours during a five-test cricket series. His 36-hour cumulative stint at the crease also shattered an English record which also takes into account six-test series. The Ashes series also saw Cook reach 5,000 test runs across his career, as well as become England’s second highest series scorer ever.

Phew.

However, not only is Alastair Cook a fantastic cricketer, but unlike a lot of young men who are thrust into celebrity at a young age, he has chosen not to wholeheartedly embrace the limelight. So whilst England is still celebrating the sensational victory over Australia and the Aussies are licking their wounds, the man credited with the Man of the Series award is thinking about his next challenge: lambing season at his quiet farm in Bedfordshire.

Now that is really thinking differently.