Coastal Creamery Delivers the Goods

The nostalgic sight of milk boxes on front porches has been a familiar and current one in seacoast New Hampshire and Maine for many years. A former Portsmouth School Board member, Kent LaPage, started the Little Milkman delivery service in 2004. Two years ago he sold the assets to Amy Ferris of Coastal Creamery and the tradition continues with more than 100 products for home and commercial delivery from Dover to Seabrook and Greenland to New Castle.

First and foremost is the milk and cream available from Hatchland Dairy, a 200-acre farm in the Connecticut River Valley in N. Haverhill. Amy says, "It's the most pristine dairy farm I've ever seen. They really take great care of their cows, even growing their own food for them."

The milk is vat pasteurized, retaining the healthy enzymes. "It's a more time-consuming process at a lower temperature," says Amy, "but the natural flavor is saved."

It's packaged in glass bottles that are recycled back to the farm. The glass makes it taste better than milk in cardboard containers too. The chocolate, strawberry and coffee milks and heavy cream are simply luxurious.

The list of affordable luxuries offered continues: Me & Ollie's breads from Portsmouth; artisan cheddar bars from Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine; Sunrise Farm's Lebany yogurt and Divine veggie burgers from Exeter; Old Salt Restaurant clam chowder from Hampton; Garfield's bacon and ham and Taylor Brothers maple syrup from Meriden, Miles Smith free-range, pasture-raised beef out of Loudon; New Hampshire organic and cage-free eggs and more. Coffee beans, juices, spring water, Cabot butter, Pepperidge Farms breads and Squamscot sodas from Newfields and more round out the staples.

If you are interested in home delivery, you can sign up online.