Doorstep Dairy opened in 2010, inspired by Daryl Mast understanding the need to connect local people with the farmers who work with such constant dedication to produce ingredients for their meals.
Today, his deliveries span across Lancaster, Berks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania. And orders placed in partnership with food producers in the region stem from mostly organic and truly natural approaches.
Glass-bottled milk, grass-fed organic milk, cheese, yogurt, freshly roasted coffee, local meats, Amish baked goods, handmade pierogies, soups, locally-crafted soda, fruit from nearby orchards, and vegetables grown close by in farm fields and greenhouses are just some of what is a part of custom-chosen orders each week.
Back in the 1950s, Daryl’s grandparents operated a mom-and-pop shop and offered door-to-door groceries out of Churchtown along Route 23 in Narvon, Lancaster County. Even today, his mom has fond memories of tagging along in her father’s truck to help with deliveries.
Daryl knew that growing up on a Holstein dairy cattle farm, running a livestock transportation business, and starting his new yet old-fashioned grocery delivery operation tied his family’s legacy and hardworking history together in strength to benefit local communities. And it also sets a good example for his young sons in our technology-driven, screen-distracted world which children live in today.
Having started Doorstep Dairy part-time with just 9 customers on a single route, by the end of the first year in business, 30 total customers were on the lineup. In 2012, after expanding to 100 customers, Daryl sold Mast Cattle Hauling and jumped full-time into managing Doorstep Dairy with his wife Karen who helped him since the beginning. Now with hundreds of customers, another delivery truck and hired employees have been a major part of success and expansion in this family-run, agriculture-promoting startup.
And while customers are welcome to use their own ice chests, Daryl sells vintage metal milk boxes for storing groceries on front doorsteps until customers can bring them into their houses to stock away in their kitchens. These milk boxes, rich with nostalgia of yesteryear, are built in Erie, Pennsylvania, through McShane Welding, which has been in business since 1973.
Everyone at Doorstep Dairy is incredibly grateful for not only the enthusiasm and appreciation of customers but also farmers whose hard work is non-negotiable, with sick days not quite fitting into the reality of agriculture. Supporting farmers and other local food and beverage producers is a major priority of Doorstep Dairy every day, and it is a privilege to bring quality-driven, health-hugging groceries to homes one porch at a time through the relationships built with such reliable vendors who mean so well across our area’s communities.