ANOTHER milkshake vending machine has opened in Herefordshire, this time on the outskirts of the city centre.

In 2021, Merrivale Farm in Little Birch, south of Hereford, started to sell its milk and other products direct to customers so it could get a fairer price.

And now it has said it's thrilled to announce it has just launched its second Merrimilk "Milk Hut" at Legges, at the bottom of Aylestone Hill.

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"It is the perfect fit for us and means that it will now be two Herefordshire farming families working together to bring you local produce," the farm said.

"Our delicious, organic milk and flavoured milkshakes will be available 24/7 at the new site so you can pop and get your top-ups at a time to suit you, plus we will be accepting contactless payments to make the entire process super easy and efficient to use."

It said there would be special flavours alongside the classics and added: "But for now, enjoy all Merrimilk has to offer, we pride ourselves in being a nature-friendly farm and we are so pleased we can introduce our range to more of the community."

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Lucy Mason, who runs the farm with her brother Ben and wife Emily after her parents Bob and Sue retired, said they didn’t realise just how popular their Merrimilk milkshakes would be after opening the first in the village, south of Hereford.

Other farmers had also turned to milkshake vending machines, with huts also at Old Market Shopping Centre, Legges in Bromyard, and Hintons in Leominster.

In its 2021 diversification report, rural insurers NFU Mutual said UK farmers have adapted to changing circumstances well.

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Farm insurance specialist Chris Walsh said in an effort to boost incomes and make sure farms remained sustainable, farmers have turned to glamping, festivals, dog walking sites and selling their own produce.

“While not all farmers have moved beyond their core farming activities, for those that have, new income streams are helping them secure their business and add resilience during uncertain times, such as those we face today,” he said.

The report said that in April 2021, NFU Mutual asked 1,652 farmers across the UK about their diversification experiences and plans.

More than one third (37 per cent) said they – or a third party – were already using their land for non-farming activities.