Former Shrewsbury College student is keeping milk safe from thieves

A twenty-year-old who grew up in Shropshire and developed a love of woodworking when she was at school is now running her own business after completing carpentry courses at Shrewsbury College where she got a Distinction.

Isla Luckman is making and selling ‘milk safes’ to customers across the UK after recognising the growing trend of a consumer return to bottled milk and the need to protect doorstep deliveries from cats, birds, heat, cold, and of course thieves.

As well as having lockable and insulated options, the milk safes can be purchased with storage space for empty bottles to prevent them getting knocked over and broken.

Since setting up production, Isla has substantially increased her online orders at milksafes.co.uk.

Tailor-making each box to customers’ specific requirements she constructs them in long-lasting birch plywood in a variety of sizes and colours.

“People are now moving away from plastic milk bottles”, says Isla, “but of course having glass bottled milk delivered to your home when you are out has its risks, as bottles can get stolen or broken and milk can go sour in warm weather.

“In the days when most people had their milk delivered, there was also the threat of bluetits pecking open the metallic bottle tops, as they were very partial to milk. The first recording of a bluetit milk bottle raid was in 1921, and by the 1950s raids were recorded across the entire UK. The bluetits even learned how to identify the bottle top colours and selected the bottles with the highest cream content.

“When customers place an order for one of my milk safes they can choose a size that will accommodate up to 4 bottles, or more. I use high grade plywood and roofing felt to make the box weatherproof There is also an insulated option to protect against extreme summer and winter temperatures. Brass hinges attach the weighted lid, and the box can either be free-standing or wall-hung.”