You can't beat milk say Shropshire farmers

But it seems that nowadays it doesn't have quite as much bottle as it used to – and alternatives to milk are growing in popularity.

New research shows that a staggering one in five households in the UK now chooses to buy non-dairy, plant-based products such as soya, rice, oat, almond or coconut milk, either as a lifestyle choice or for medical reasons.

But milk plays a big role in the Shropshire economy, with the county home to yoghurt giant Muller Dairies, a number of cheese makers and many dairy farms.

The research from retail analysts Mintel shows a staggering one in five households in the UK now chooses to buy non-dairy, plant-based products such as soya, rice, oat, almond or coconut milk as a lifestyle choice or for medical reasons.

The size of the non-dairy market jumped from 36 million litres in 2011 to 92 million litres in 2013 — an incredible 155 per cent increase, according to Mintel.

Meanwhile, sales of milk and cream have grown just three per cent.

Dairy Crest Group plc based in Crudgington is a leading British dairy products company.

Its brands include Cathedral City Cheddar cheese, Country Life butter and milk, Utterly Butterly, Vitalite, Clover and Frijj.

Mark Allen, the company's chief executive said: "Milk is found in 98 per cent of people's fridges across the UK and is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet, in particular for older people and teenage girls who are often not getting enough calcium.

"It is important for us all to to keep on reminding people of the nutrients which they can only get from regular milk consumption."

Supermarkets are witnessing a growth in non-dairy products, with Asda seeing 20 per cent more sales than last year in the plant-based drinks market, with almond milk seeing a 150 per cent rise.

Sainsbury's say almond milk has gone up 181 per cent and it has soya milk in its Basics range, at 65p a litre.

At Tesco, demand for coconut milk has rocketed by 100 per cent in the last 12 monthst.

Waitrose has seen almond milk go up 71 per cent.

Head of Mintel's UK Food, Drink and Foodservice research Kiti Soininen said: "Many consumers may be turning to dairy alternatives or lactose-free cow's milk for perceived health reasons, as research shows that some people feel drinking milk can upset their digestive system and leave them feeling bloated."

Richard Yates, dairy farmer from Bridgnorth, admitted he was concerned by the rise of non-dairy, but again insisted there are many health benefits from drinking dairy milk.

Mr Yates, who has a 100-strong herd of traditional Friesian cows, in Middleton Scriven, near Bridgnorth, said: "I rarely go into supermarkets because it upsets me to see so much foreign meat being sold on the shelves.

"But obviously as a producer of dairy products we would be concerned if people started seeking alternatives.

"Every day you can read in newspapers and in the media about health scares and then the next day it's gone.But we have seen an increase in raw milk, or unpasteurised milk, which has seen a big rise in demand.

"It's what I've drunk all my life and I stand by the traditional health benefits of drinking milk on a daily basis."

A dietician and nutritionist from Shropshire has said she does not believe that choosing non-dairy over dairy would provide any benefit to a balanced diet.

Lucy Aphramor, who is based in Church Stretton and a director at Well Founded, said: "My area of expertise focuses around weight and it is important for everybody to have a balanced diet.

"But apart from where allergies are involved there is no merit at all to trading one against the other."

Graeme Jacks, of Muller said: "We will just keep innovating to make sure we give our customers what they want."