Mighty milk

In April, pop-up MelkSalon in Amsterdam aimed to bring consumers, farmers, processors, designers and scientists together to consider the value of milk. The initiative was supported by agricultural organisations and designed by Sietske Klooster.

Lectures, design sessions and dinners took place to inform visitors about the cultural and social importance of milk. The opening of MelkSalon coincided with the expiry of the European milk quota, which restricted the quantity of milk that farmers could sell.

Free milk was handed out, and visitors were encouraged to identify the different tastes of milk sourced from various farms, under the guidance of ‘milk sommelier’ Bas de Groot.

The Big Picture: As consumers become more discerning, the rise of sommeliers for products such as milk and water will emerge.