Is 1am too early for milk delivery?

[MidnightMilkman]

We've recently started getting milk delivered. The website says they deliver before 7am, which is great as we leave for work just after 7, meaning we can stick it in the fridge before we go.

But, milkman is delivering at 1am. Is this normal? It feels too early to me as the milk is then sitting out for several hours.

They can't deliver to everyone at 6am so probably start during the night/early hours.

This time of year it wouldn't bother me as it will be cool enough outside but the height of summer when nights are still warm it would.
Were they doing this then too?

I cancelled my milkman as he was meant to come before 8 but regularly came after I'd left for work so the milk was out all day in the warm.

Depends on time of Yr & outside temp. Over autumn/winter ours delivers quite early, around 2am which is fine as basically fridge temp outside anyway. In warmer months they deliver around 5am & ask people to put a cool box outside for the milk.

Mine arrives anywhere between 1.30am and about 4.30am

I think ours deliver around that time year round - we don't have a cool box and we haven't had a problem (but we are in Scotland). The milk generally lasts way past the date on the bottle.

We've only been having deliveries a few weeks so I'm not sure about summer. We were just testing it before committing to a regular delivery, but will order one of the cool boxes if we do.
But are these good enough for summer use? The front of the house gets the morning sun, and I'm not sure even an insulated box would be cold enough in summer.

It's also not really that cold outside yet. It was 14 degrees when I got the milk in at 7am, and a quick look at tonight shows it's 10/11 all night. I known it'll get colder, but we may have to go back to shop bought milk if 1am is standard.

They're not Santa - someone has to be first!

My DH was a milkman for 13 years. His first delivery was at around midnight, last 5am so everyone had milk for breakfasts.

They can't deliver to everyone at 6am so probably start during the night/early hours.

Exactly, he's not Santa! I'm not sure how hot it gets in your area at 3am, but round ours, it's cold enough to keep the milk til we get up.

As for overnight temperature he never once had a customer complaint about milk turning sour overnight.

I have milk delivered with one of those insulated boxes they provide. Never had a problem with temperature even when I've forgotten to collect it until midday and its been in the sun!

That's normal for us, it comes anywhere between midnight and 5am. I haven't had any problems with milk going off, except the day I left it out all day in midsummer 🤦 We don't have a coolbox but our front door is north facing.

Could you request they leave it in a shady spot?

I didn't rush out to get the milk in this morning as it was pouring with rain. It'll be fine.

This is going to sound like a total lie, but I just remembered I used to do (help with) a milkround on a Saturday as a teenager. I used to get picked up around 4.30, so I guess I was basing my expectation off that.

I think we did deliver up until around 9am though, so the commitment to before 7am will be the issue.

Any insulated box recommendations? Do I just go with the one they sell?

Our milk is delivered at around 1.30am year round, we bring it in around 6.30/7 and it has never gone off! It does help that it is freezing cold when delivered

Ours varies a bit, 1am is probably the earliest I can remember but it has been 6am on occasion. We started it shortly before the first covid lockdown so had it a while and I think the later times have been during the summer months so it works quite well. Haven't had to use a cool box yet.

We are not far from the dairy farm so tend to get ours around 1am too, been having our milk delivered for 10+ years and never had a problem.

Unless it snows and the cream freezes - you get a delightful icecream frozen fountain

What about your neighbours? The milkman in our street is so fucking loud at 4am.

I've not heard ours deliver, just saw him on the ring doorbell.

I think it’s quite normal. I’m a bit of an insomniac and I’m often still awake enough at 2am on Friday morning and hear the delivery. The other delivery, earlier in the week doesn’t usually disturb me. This is because we live in a one way street. The 2am Friday guy/gal reverses back up a few yards in his electric milk van 🤣

Early delivery doesn’t seem to impair the milk quantity. Haven’t had the milk go off even when it’s hot weather

We trialed a milkman too. It was a nightmare, one time he delivered at 11.30pm(!) and it was 14 degrees outside. Fortunately I was still awake, but he was so loud he set the dog off barking. One of our neighbours still uses them and he's out revving the engine and slamming doors any time between 12 and 2. We went back to supermarkets.

My neighbour receives a milk delivery. It comes about 11.30pm at night! I've heard so many complaints about the company. In the summer the milk doesn't last long and goes off within a day or two.... no wonder it's sat out for 6-7 hours. I'd never use them and I often wonder how they've still got a client base.

On a similar note, what are you thoughts on if the milkman drops a milk bottle and it breaks? I heard them arrive the other week late one night. Was in bed reading. It was absolutely pouring down. I heard the smash. Also knew by the short time they drove off they hadn't swept up the glass. The next morning I see the glass is on the curb and roadside. I thought this was really poor show and they should have swept up (assuming they carry a dustpan and brush which would seem sensible to me!)

It’s completely normal. I see ours start on my way home from work about 1, then he gets to my parents about 3am

Do you live near me?! Our neighbours plays really loud music and is noisy also.

Maybe it's on the person spec that you need to be loud and obnoxious 😂

@WatermelonSugarLow ours just delivered plastic bottles anyway.

We use one. Sometimes he comes at 11:30pm and I put the milk away before going to bed. :-) normally it’s around 1am. I’ve never had a problem with the milk going off. We have an insulated milk holder, milk goes in that all year round. Sometimes if it’s really hot in summer I put a freezer block in the insulated holder, but I’m not sure it’s actually needed.

The local milk man razzes round anytime from half eleven onwards. Have seen him whilst coming home from the pub.

I have a cool box after the magpies or gulls discovered the bottles and pecked the tops as well as a carton of eggs. How effective it would be in hot weather I don't know as I live in a chilly part of the country and nights are rarely really warm.

My delivery company is fantastic and the milkmen are very quiet. My bedroom is next to the front door (bungalow) and I almost never hear them.

A bottle was broken once but I only knew because I could see the traces of milk he'd wiped. All glass was away.