Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Milchtankstelle



Reuters - German dairy farmer Bruno Stauf has come up with a novel way to drum up new business -- he opened a "milk filling station." (Writing by Michelle Martin, editing by Paul Casciato)


The "Milchtankstelle" near Cologne in the town of Neunkirchen-Seelscheid dispenses the output of 78 cows from a stainless steel vending machine. Customers can either bring their own empty containers or buy milk bottles to fill up.


The milk filling station is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Customers can select the amount of milk they want to purchase at a price of 70 cents per liter. They insert the money, put their container under the nozzle and press a button. 


At 70 cents a liter, the milk from the filling station is more expensive than at some supermarkets, but Stauf, 55, points out, "There's a lot more protein and fat in it because it is not treated like the milk you get in supermarkets," he said. "Supermarkets work on improving the shelf life, but people just want fresher milk. People come from as far away as Cologne to buy milk from my station."