THE owner of a delicatessen in Worcestershire has joined forces with a farmer to offer fair deal' milk.

Helen Saunders, of Capers in Pershore High Street, has teamed up with Don Ingles of nearby Hayway Farm to sell pasteurised milk, cream and live yoghurts.

"The farm is a 15 minute drive from the shop, which is low on food miles," she said.

"It's as local as you are going to get.

"He keeps his cows to extremely high standards so they are happy cows.

"The milk is bottled on the farm so it means it's single sourced milk and you know exactly where it's coming from."

Miss Saunders said supermarkets were driving dairy farmers out of business.

"The supermarkets push the price of milk at the farm gate to the point where it is below production costs," she added.

Miss Saunders said the products, which have been launched to coincide with British Food Fortnight, will be slightly more expensive than the supermarkets.

"They are going to be higher quality," she added.

"I've had lots of people who have said they will buy it - it's the principle of what it stands for as much as anything.

"They want to buy local and where the money, if you like is ending up in the right place."

Mr Ingles said his business partnership with Miss Saunders was a "win win" situation for all.

He said the price of milk has plummeted from 23p to 24p a litre in 1996 to about 18p today.

"I've lost income potentially of £60,000 a year," he said.

"My costs, including electricity, water, food and labour have gone up at least 30 per cent in that time."