Dairy Milk
Brades Farm
About Brades Farm
Brades Farm is nestled in the Forest of Bowland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The climate is wet and changeable, which makes the land less suitable for arable
crops but excellent for grass; ideal conditions for grazing. The farm supports abundant wildlife, including birds of prey, rabbits, hares, deer and barn owls (the team now also uses dedicated owl boxes).
Fourteen generations of the Towers family tended neighbouring valleys before relocating to Brades Farm in 1960 with just six cows. Initially delivering milk locally in the family car, they steadily expanded into processing and retail across the Lancaster district. Today, Ed and Joe Towers represent the latest generation.
In 2015, the family travelled to Varde in Denmark and saw first‑hand how Jersey milk’s naturally higher protein and butterfat can improve texture, sweetness and
performance in coffee. They introduced Jerseys alongside their Holstein–Friesian herd, then blend milk from the two herds only after lab analysis when the tanker arrives. This allows them to keep the milk completely natural while aiming for repeatable protein and butterfat levels—so milk behaves consistently for steaming and espresso.
Why Brades Farm
Glass Coffee chose Brades after visiting multiple farms, because animal welfare is non‑negotiable for us. On our visit to Lancaster, Kim, Joe and Ed welcomed us, walked us through day‑to‑day herd care, and showed the practical steps they take to keep quality and hygiene tight—without cutting corners.
In early 2018, Brades became the first dairy farm globally to feed Mootral to their herd. Mootral is a natural feed supplement that has been reported to reduce methane emissions from cows by up to 30%, lowering the farm’s footprint while keeping the product itself unchanged.