AN environmentally-conscious groceries firm - which was established in East Lancs - is set to benefit from a £2.25m cash injection from investors.

Analysts at Praetura Ventures have made the commitment to Colne-based Modern Milkman, which has grown from a few rounds in Pendle to a concern with 16 hubs across England and a base in France.

Investors were attracted by the ambitious firm's use of intelligent data to map out their milk rounds and assess demand, as well as their mission to reduced carbon emissions.

Their approach to artificial intelligence also assists with shelf-life dates, customer orders and warehousing as they deliver milk, eggs, groceries and fruit and veg to an expanding customer base.

And bosses have also pledged to use zero oil-based plastics and last year it introduced the UK’s first return and reuse initiative for freshly squeezed orange juice.

Their app is configured to help consumers reduce any food waste by allowing users to shop little and often, 'without compromising on sustainability'.

Simon Mellin, the founder and CEO of Modern Milkman (MM), said: “As a business proud of our Northern roots we’re thrilled to have secured the support of Praetura Ventures for the next phase of our journey.

"We’re excited by the opportunity to collaborate and learn from them and their impressive portfolio of tech businesses as we continue on our objective to achieve the scale and consumer loyalty we need to realise our vision to reset our throwaway society.”

Simon, one of the driving forces behind MM when it got off the ground in 2018, had worked with leading grocery trader HelloFresh and the business quickly evolved from their East Lancs heartland to rounds further afield.

David Foreman, managing director of Praetura Ventures, added: “We are far from alone in our admiration of Modern Milkman, which has grown at a highly impressive pace and is now eyeing global expansion.

"As well as the company’s unique and innovative approach to the grocery sector, what attracted us are its highly authentic sustainability pledges and plans to significantly curb plastic use.

"The business and its founder Simon represent a new generation of Northern businesses, that are transcending sectors and putting the region at the forefront of UK innovation.”

The company now has offices in Manchester and London and has also established a foothold in Lille, after being named the fastest-growing company in the North by GP Bullhound in 2022, saving an estimated 46.5m plastic bottles in the process.