Kiewa iced coffee devotee left to cry over his milk love after final sale from Tangambalanga store

Shopkeeper Phillip George watched on as his regular customer was gobsmacked at not being able to locate his favourite Kiewa milk drop.

“He went to the fridge and he looked and he was devastated he couldn’t find where the iced coffee was,” Mr George said.

“He looked like the kid who had dropped his lollies.”

However, Mr George had a surprise for the Yackandandah local who he calls Mr Iced Coffee.

The last cartons of Kiewa iced coffee for sale were being kept hidden just for him.

Mr Britton scored the last two cartons sold by the store.

“It’s beautiful stuff,” he said as he drunk one of the iced coffees at Tangambalanga’s Britton’s Garden Supply where he works with brother Jack.

“It’s better than beer – I’m serious.”

Mr Britton is used to three Kiewa iced coffees a day, one for smoko, another about 3pm for the drive home and a last in the evening as part of grocery shopping.

“I’m fairly attached to my iced coffee,” he said.

“There would be blokes that would have to have rehab after this.

“I know blokes that are alcoholics and they get their iced coffee and it gets them through the day.”

Mr Britton spent about 15 years at the Murray Goulburn Kiewa plant behind the iced coffee working in the maintenance field.

“It’s been an income and it’s been a food to me,” he said.

Mr George, who created the Kiewa Ice Coffee – Last Drinks Facebook page, also sold his last Kiewa chocolate milk on Tuesday afternoon.

But at the Kiewa General Store there was still three shelves of iced coffee available, but other flavours and plain milk had gone.

That was a temporary relief for Mr Britton, but he still can’t understand why milk processing has had to end at the Kiewa factory.

“The milk from there just tastes so good, because it’s from the good pastures of the Kiewa Valley, it’s not the same as the milk that comes from the plains and the irrigated areas,” he said.

“I can’t see why they can’t keep making milk there.”