An entrepreneur who ran pubs in London for 15 years and worked for big companies in the Scottish dairy industry is celebrating building up a £5 million order book for his new milk delivery venture in just four months of business.

Julian Terriaca, who is 44, said he had also already rejected a £400,000 offer to buy his EM Dairies business, based at Bellshill in Lanarkshire. EM stands for “Everything Milk”.

Mr Terriaca, who is from Hamilton, decided to establish his own enterprise earlier this year after identifying a sector of the market which he “felt had been neglected but offered potentially lucrative returns”.

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He does not deal with traditional doorstep deliveries but instead focuses on businesses including small retail traders, coffee shops, cafés, garden centres, offices, factories, distilleries, and nurseries.

Operating seven days a week, he is already making deliveries totalling 80,000 litres a week.

Whole milk is the most popular product with his customers. In addition to milk, the business delivers all types of cream as well as milkshakes.

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Mr Terriaca said: “I’ve not done too badly as the new kid on the block.”

He spoke with numerous contacts and customers about his idea as his business plan was formulated and said he “received high levels of support”.

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After finding premises, fitting them out with equipment, establishing a vehicle fleet and hiring staff, he opened the doors for business.

Mr Terriaca said: “On day one we had 15 customers on the books and that’s grown quickly and quite dramatically. I’ve had to double capacity and things are developing at a much faster rate than I hoped at the outset.”

He added that he had secured strong financial support from an angel investor who had been firmly behind the project since the outset.

The entrepreneur noted he is the son of an Irish mum, from Dublin, and an Italian father. His Rome-born dad Nicola - known as Nicky in Lanarkshire - operated the Rainbow Bar fish and chip shop in Airdrie for 21 years.

Mr Terriaca said: “My parents had very high standards and my aim, like theirs, is to provide the best possible service in the sector - that’s our unique selling proposition.”