The Coo Shed, a dairy business in Ayrshire, Scotland, lost access to its 22,000-follower Instagram account after a scam during the verification process. Despite frustrations with Meta’s lack of support, the family remains focused on growing their business and recently won Dairy Product of the Year for their sustainable milk production.
In Scotland, the Kerr family’s farm-based business, The Coo Shed, located in Ayrshire, faced a major setback on June 30 when hackers took control of its Instagram account. Known for its homemade food and fresh milk from a grass-fed herd of 300 Holstein Friesian cows, the business lost access to 22,000 followers and was forced to rebuild from scratch.
The Coo Shed, which opened in 2017, also runs The Milk Hoose, a vending facility that offers farm-fresh milk in reusable glass bottles. Co-owner Alison Kerr revealed that the hack occurred during an attempt to obtain a blue verification badge for the account. Despite contacting Meta, the California-based social media company, several times, the account remains inaccessible.
Kerr described her frustration after speaking to eight different Meta representatives, all of whom promised a solution within 24 hours. The loss of Instagram has impacted the business’s marketing efforts, as the platform played a vital role in promoting their products and engaging with customers. While they maintain 50,000 followers on Facebook, the reach and engagement from Instagram have been difficult to replace.
She urged other businesses to be cautious, explaining that despite carefully reviewing the phishing email, she was still tricked. Kerr hopes Meta will improve its support process to assist businesses more effectively when accounts are compromised.
Amid these difficulties, The Coo Shed found encouragement by winning the Dairy Product of the Year award at the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2024 for its fresh, non-homogenized whole milk. The recognition highlights the farm’s commitment to sustainability, including reducing plastic waste through the use of refillable glass bottles.
The Kerr family, who will celebrate 100 years of farming at South Corton in 2025, pioneered milk vending in Scotland by launching their facility in 2018. During the pandemic, Kerr’s daughter Joanne introduced flavored milkshakes, which have become a popular product.
The Coo Shed also supplies its milk to Nestlé’s Girvan plant, where it is used to produce milk crumb for KitKat bars. Kerr expressed pride in knowing their milk contributes to such an iconic global product.
Although the family remains hopeful that Meta will restore their original Instagram account, they are focused on moving forward, continuing to grow their business and build on their farm’s long-standing legacy in Ayrshire, Scotland.
