About Cow & Gate

Once upon a time, in the small town of Guildford, the Gates brothers embarked on a journey that would change the course of their lives forever. Their family opened a small grocery shop on No. 20 Highstreet in 1771 with a dream of one day feeding the nation. The brothers went on to build their own creameries and sold their wares in little brown jugs with a picture of a cow looking through a gate.

In 1900, the Gates brothers explored new innovations and started selling powdered milk. When Dr Millard began researching the health benefits of powdered milk for babies a few years later, he ordered the brother’s milk. From there, the brother’s reputation for providing the highest quality products quickly spread and they were inundated with orders from all over the country. In 1929, 'Cow & Gate' is officially adopted as the company name.

In 1935, when Mrs. Miles from Huntingdon gave birth to quadruplets, Cow & Gate Food for Premature Babies, Frailac, proved to be a blessing. The babies became the first known quadruplets in history to survive for more than a few days. 

From that moment on, it became Cow & Gate’s sole mission to nourish Britain’s little ones. Smiler ‘The Royal Baby’ start to appear on product packaging and advertising with the slogan ‘The food of royal babies’, sparking Cow & Gate’s passion for nourishing happy babies. In 1969, Cow & Gate sterilised ready-to-feed milks were launched for hospitals, making feeding easier for busy parents. In 1974, Cow & Gate opened a new factory in the green fields of Wexford, Ireland and the careline was launched 1998, putting expert help and advice at parents' fingertips.

Today, Cow & Gate is synonymous with quality and trust. We’ve fed 4 generations of Britain’s babies, we’ve brought happiness and nourishment to millions of babies throughout the UK & Ireland. 100 years on, Cow & Gate remains committed to our founding principles of heritage, health, and happiness to provide only the very best for little ones.