John Kerr & Son Dairymen Ltd, best known as Kerr’s Family Dairy, has been delivering milk to the Dundee community and surrounding areas for over 125 years.
The business was founded by Sandy Kerr in 1900 when it was known as Balfield Farm, where he used traditional methods of dairy farming and provided door-to-door delivery by horse and cart, with the horses ready to go at 4am every morning seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Naming the business after his son John (known as Johnny), this was the start of the John Kerr name, which is now in its sixth generation.
125 years
One of the current directors of the firm, John Kelvin Kerr Snr, born in 1960 and known as Kelvin, started working at the age of nine and still works at the dairy today.
He said: “Johnny (the son of Sandy Kerr) started working on the dairy farm at the age of 10 years old. After the passing of his father, he took the reins of the business.
“In 1961 Johnny sold the land of the farm to Dundee City council so they could build a new school – now known as St John’s Secondary School – and financed a propose built dairy on Clepington Road in Dundee, introducing revolutionary machinery to process and bottle milk.
“The new machinery could fill 4,800 glass bottles in an hour, automatically rejecting any chipped or cracked bottles. This was pioneering at that time. The only manual labour needed was the carrying in of the milk churns and carrying the crates out to the lorries.”
In 2018, the business was selling an average of 750 glass bottles a week. At present, it is now selling 80,000 a week to over 14,000 customers.”
John Kelvin Kerr Jnr
It was 1933 that the next generation arrived, where the tradition of John Kerr started and the dairy changed its name to John Kerr & Son Dairymen Ltd.
“There is a running joke within the family that the reasoning for naming his son John was to save any expense of changing the name on the milk bottles,” John Snr added.
After John Snr – the fourth generation – John Kelvin Kerr Jnr was born in 1984, best known as Kelvin Jnr.
Kelvin Jnr said: “My dad moved the dairy from Clepington Road in 1998 after being approached by the builders of Kingsway Retail Park to sell the land.
“From 1998 until just recently, John Kerr & Son Dairymen Ltd was situated on Strathmartine Road, Dundee.”
Passing on the baton
For John Kelvin Kerr Jnr, his working life started at 12 years old collecting the money for milk orders on a Friday after school.
When he turned 14, he started delivering milk before school, starting as early as 4am.
He said: “Growing up, I dabbled in other work opportunities before finally settling back into the dairy at the age of 24 as a shop driver.
“At that time, doorstep deliveries were dwindling and I took this opportunity to build on this. After two years working as a driver, my best friend Paul (PJ) and me got to work building the doorstep deliveries to 2,000 customers.
“Three years ago, with the issues of plastic on the environment being at the forefront, I saw an opportunity to introduce glass bottles. With this change came the growth of the business.
“In 2018, the business was selling an average of 750 glass bottles a week. At present, it is now selling 80,000 a week to over 14,000 customers.”
My dad is always supportive and puts his trust in me to make important decisions in order to drive the business forward.”
John Kelvin Kerr Jnr
In January 2020, a monumental moment occurred as John Kelvin Kerr Jnr took on an opportunity to start deliveries in Aberdeen.
This was the first time the dairy had operated outwith Dundee and the surrounding areas.
Aberdeen market and expansion
With deliveries going well, Kelvin then took on a depot in Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, in June 2020.
Not only that, but the business also outgrew its depot at Strathmartine Road in Dundee – due to its success – so moved to a new premises on Ash Street around a week ago (June 9, 2021).
Speaking of their team, John Kelvin Kerr Jnr says the depot managers are heavily involved in the business.
He added: “We have two depot managers, Paul Johnstone, who runs the Dundee depot, and Gary Smith, who runs the Aberdeen depot.
“Paul and Gary have a big involvement in the running of the businesses. All office duties are carried out in our depot in Dundee with four team members.
“And over Dundee and Aberdeen, we have 40 drivers delivering to doorstep and wholesale customers.”
John Snr added: “As for our roles, tasks have changed over the years.
“We had a more hands-on approach at first, with me focusing on wholesale customers and my son looking after the doorstep customers.
“As the business has grown, we have introduced a hierarchy which has allowed myself and my son to take a step back. I attend weekly meetings for important decisions whereas he oversees the day-to-day running of the business.”
Working relationship
Although there have been challenges over the years, like any father and son relationship, John Kelvin Kerr Jnr says they “always come to an agreement in the end.”
John Kelvin Kerr Jnr welcomed his son, Kelvin John Kerr, on April 7 this year, marking the arrival of the sixth generation.
He said: “My dad is always supportive and puts his trust in me to make important decisions in order to drive the business forward.
“As a father and son, we always look out for each other. We have a laugh together. The only negative would be trying to keep personal life and business separate.
“Us working together is a security blanket to me. Although my dad has taken a step back, I always know that he is there to support me, which I don’t feel I could get from anyone else.
Looking ahead, I hope my son Kelvin works for the family business. From my own experience, I feel it would be good to get him working from a young age.”
John Kelvin Kerr Jnr
“He understands the business as he has done this his whole life and the pressures of taking on a business from his father and keeping that business alive.
“Until he decides to fully step away from the business, I know we will continue to work together.
“Looking ahead, I hope my son Kelvin works for the family business. From my own experience, I feel it would be good to get him working from a young age.
“It has grounded me and I feel it would do the same to him. If he decides he doesn’t want to work within the dairy, I hope he can keep the Kerr’s family name going in his own ventures.”