Asda supermarkets in our region are set to become some of the first in the country to launch free-range milk – from free-range cows.

Stores in Charlton, Bexleyheath, Swanley, Wallington, Sutton and Kingston are trialling the product – after the chain bowed to pressure from Jamie Oliver.

Across the country, the supermarket chain will be stocking 70,000 litres of free-range dairy farmers' milk every week.

The launch comes after customers’ responded to celebrity chef Oliver and pal Jimmy Doherty drawing attention to the milk choices available in their latest series of Channel 4 show, Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast.

Customers bombarded Asda head office with requests for information about the free-roaming milkers, so buyers decided to stock the new product.

Most dairy farmers graze their cows for part of the year.

But because there are no guidelines as to what makes a cow ‘free-range’ – unlike chickens – it means that farmers are increasing the amount of roaming their herds do.

Asda has worked with the Free Range Dairy Network to bring the new product range to their stores, from cows which are put out to pasture more frequently and for longer.

The Free Range Dairy Network licences the ‘Pasture Promise’ logo which will appear on the free-range milk in Asda.

It offers cow-conscious customers a promise the milk they’re buying meets the grazing standards set by the Free Range Dairy Network.

As part of its customer research into the demand for free-range milk Asda has identified stores in its chain where there is a high level of interest in organic products and so has initially put 70,000 litres of it a week in 109 stores.

There will be semi-skimmed milk available in one and two-litre bottles and unhomegenised whole milk available in one and two-litre bottles.

Jenny Cannon, senior category director for Milk at Asda, said: “We’re launching Free Range Dairy Farmer’s Milk because it’s the right thing to do for our customers.

“We want to provide ranges for our customers that offer them great price, quality and choice.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to work with the Free Range Dairy Network on Free Range Dairy Farmer’s Milk and hope our customers love it too.

“We will be monitoring demand for the milk in all stores and will work closely with the Free Range Dairy Network to make sure the milk is available to as many customers as possible.”

Neil Darwin, who set up the Free Range Dairy Network, added: “We’re over the moon that Free Range Dairy Farmer’s Milk will be available across the UK on Asda’s shelves.

“We hope that by customers being offered an active choice as to the kind of farming system they want to support, we will be able to grow the Free Range Dairy Network and recruit more dairy farmers who’ll be able to benefit from this simple farming method.”