Chosen from nearly 1,200 milkmen and women across the country, Camberley milkman Darren Barnes has been crowned milk&more Milkman of the Year 2017.
The milk&more Milkman of the Year 2017 competition shines a light on the great work milkmen do in their communities. Darren was nominated by his customers for the exceptional service he provides.
Darren, a milkman for 31 years with Britain's largest milk delivery service to the doorstep, milk&more, has gone above and beyond to help his customers and local community throughout his career. In addition, Darren recently raised over £5k for children's charity Whizz-Kidz, having completed his first marathon at the age of 50.
Commenting on his win, Darren began by thanking his customers: “I am over the moon at being crowned milk&more Milkman of the Year 2017 and want to say a big thank you to my customers, many of whom I have been delivering to for years. Over the last three decades, I have always aimed to provide a reliable but friendly service for my customers, many of whom have such busy lives; so to be recognised by them for a job I love is amazing.
“Not only did some of them attend my wedding, but many of them also sponsored my marathon run, contributing to the funds I raised to help transform the lives of disabled children – and I'll be donating my winnings (£1,000 worth of high street vouchers) to the charity too. I'm looking forward to helping to spread the word to remind the public that after over 150 years, the tradition of the milkman is alive and well and we even still deliver fresh milk in those iconic glass bottles!”
Patrick Mueller, Managing Director of milk&more said: “milk&more is for the community, from the community and part of the community and Darren is a fantastic example of why we believe that every neighbourhood deserves a milkman. Our milkmen and women are an integral part of their local communities and Darren epitomises all that is great about this British tradition – which we are working hard to ensure will be here for generations to come.
“Home delivery is a growing industry, and as a trusted institution, there's a real opportunity to grow here. We've got exciting plans for the future – watch this space!”
