Daryl Mast does it all. He’s a husband, dad to three kids, entrepreneur, mindful businessman and milkman. Yep. Milkman.
Daryl’s business, Doorstep Dairy, was founded on rocking it old school. With options for having milk, eggs, baked goods and other locally-sourced products delivered either to your door (if you’re in a designated home delivery area) or to a centralized pick-up site, there’s a way for you to take advantage of Doorstep Dairy’s goodness. Daryl was kind enough to share some more about Doorstep Dairy with Dish.
PA Eats: Doorstep Dairy is genius! It seems the busier and more connected we become, the more we like to take advantage of simpler “indulgences.” What has the response to Doorstep Dairy been like from its patrons?
Daryl Mast: The response from public has been overwhelming. Of course there is a bit of nostalgia that plays into it, but I would say convenience and the knowledge of where your food is coming from is paramount. Busy schedules do push people to look for ways to streamline their life, but people have a huge desire to know what they are feeding their families.
In addition to running Doorstep Dairy, you are also dad to three kids! In what ways is it challenging for you to blend work and family life? How do you make it a little easier on yourself?
Balancing work and family can never be done perfectly. I think almost everyone struggles with this. In my heart I would always choose to “cheat” my work instead of my family, but that is not always the reality. My wife and I have made a few life choices that have helped. First, my wife left her professional career a few years ago and is home with our kids full time. My kids love to take turns going out on deliveries with me and their school schedule allows for this. We are a small business. We have an office in our bedroom. I answer the phone, pay the bills, visit our farm vendors, and change my own oil. The kids love to stuff envelopes and stamp checks. We are far from the Ward and June Cleaver family but we try to keep things simple.
What are your most popular products?
Glass-bottled milk is by far the biggest seller. We offer a variety of milk from three different farms, because not all milk is created equal! We have a certified organic, grass-fed Jersey milk from Oasis at Bird-in-Hand; Golden Guernsey milk from Yoder’s Country Market in New Holland, and we also have milk from Holstein cows from Kreider Farms in Manhiem. The milk from Yoder’s comes in a returnable glass bottle!
In addition to milk, we have a nice variety of local yogurts, cheeses, cream and eggs.
How has Doorstep Dairy’s clientele grown since you began operating? How have product offerings grown?
We began offering deliveries in my home town of Morgantown and serviced nine homes in the first week. Word of mouth was and is our main marketing source. The Reading Eagle did a story on us one winter. A few weeks later we were able to expand into the West Reading/Wyomissing area. A year later we added parts of Downingtown and Exton for home delivery. Today home delivery is still our main market. We also have wholesale accounts with restaurants, diners and stores that purchase from us. This year we are also offering delivery to designated pick-up sites like certain schools and businesses.
We started out with one variety of milk, one coffee roaster and one bakery. Today we have many more local options. We offer vegetable CSA shares, beef shares, fruit and more!
Is there anything else you like readers of PA Eats to know about Doorstep Dairy?
Our main goal is to create new markets for our local ag communities. The ‘milkman’ model is one way we are doing that. In the past if you drank milk, you had it delivered to your door. If you didn’t own a cow it was your only option. Today we have so many more options. I will be the first to admit that our service is not for everyone. If price is the main thing that drives your buying decisions, then we are probably not a good fit for you. But, if you are looking for premium local products, convenience and unmatched customer service, then definitely check us out!
Has the milkman come to your door? Let us know in the comments below if you have used Doorstep Dairy’s services!
This article is sponsored by Chester County Economic Development Council.
- Photography: Doorstep Dairy
