Culture shock for ‘big yoghurt’ as foodies switch to DIY

Commercial sales dip but environmental concerns make home yoghurt kits a growth area

Sue Reed, who lives in Northumberland and runs a business knitting with recycled wool, has been making her own yoghurt for years. "We've been trying to live sustainably and frugally for a long time. We grow our own veg, try not to use supermarkets and were eating seasonally before it all became zeitgeisty," she says. "You could say we're hippies in the hills, but it really is so much cheaper and tastier to make your own yoghurt."

Reed is not alone. Store chains John Lewis and Lakeland both report a rise in sales of yoghurt-making products, and online retailer EasiYo says demand is up by 26% in the past year.