An award-winning dairy farm that supplied milk to Tesco and Müller has been suspended after undercover footage allegedly showed workers repeatedly abusing cows, including kicking, punching and burning one animal with a lit cigarette.
The disturbing footage was filmed at Albyns Farm near Loughton, Essex, during an undercover investigation carried out by animal rights activist Joey Carbstrong. The farm, operated by Curtismill Holsteins, is home to around 700 dairy cows and has previously received industry awards while supplying milk through the Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group.
According to the investigation, workers were captured carrying out repeated acts of alleged animal cruelty over two separate filming periods between September and October 2024 and again between February and March 2026.
The footage reportedly shows cows being kicked in their udders, legs, stomachs and hindquarters, punched, slapped and jabbed with sharp objects. In one of the most shocking incidents, a worker is alleged to have pressed a lit cigarette against a cow’s face.
Other scenes appear to show frightened animals having their tails twisted, being struck with gates and brooms, and being shouted at while attempting to flee. Calves were also allegedly dragged by their legs after being separated from their mothers, while other incidents reportedly involved animals being prodded with keys and broom handles.
Animal welfare campaigners claim around 600 separate incidents of suspected welfare breaches were identified from just two one-hour samples of the undercover footage.
Following the investigation, several employees have been dismissed, while dairy giant Müller immediately suspended the farm from its supply chain pending a full investigation. Tesco has also suspended the farm while inquiries continue.
Curtismill Holsteins, which operates Albyns Farm, said it was “extremely disappointed” by the footage and insisted the behaviour shown did not reflect the standards expected on the family-run farm.
In a statement, the company said it was launching an independent investigation into the allegations and introducing additional measures to prevent any repeat incidents.
These include appointing an external animal welfare specialist to conduct a fresh audit, installing more CCTV cameras across the farm and increasing staff training.
The business said it remained fully committed to maintaining high welfare standards and described the conduct shown in the footage as “completely unacceptable.”
The investigation has also raised wider questions about farm inspections and welfare auditing.
Joey Carbstrong, who carried out the undercover operation, claimed the alleged abuse highlighted broader problems within the dairy industry.
He said the farm had previously promoted its record of passing welfare inspections without any non-conformity issues, despite the alleged incidents captured during the investigation.
Carbstrong argued the footage demonstrated what he described as systemic failures within existing farm auditing processes and called for greater protection for farm animals.
An independent assessment of the footage was also carried out by animal welfare expert Jenny Mace, a visiting scholar at the University of St Andrews.
She said the behaviour shown appeared to indicate clear signs of pain and distress among the animals, including flinching, attempts to escape, kicking, bellowing and other fear responses.
Müller UK & Ireland said it was appalled by the footage and thanked investigators for bringing the matter to its attention.
The company confirmed the farm had been suspended as soon as concerns were raised and said independent veterinary inspections and Red Tractor assurance checks had since been carried out.
Müller said some of the footage dated back almost two years and confirmed the employees involved had been dismissed immediately.
It added that corrective actions had now been implemented and that the farm remains subject to ongoing monitoring and welfare inspections.
The company stressed it operates a zero-tolerance policy towards animal cruelty and said all supplying farms are required to meet strict welfare standards.
Tesco also confirmed it had suspended the farm from its supply chain while a thorough investigation is carried out.
A spokesperson said the supermarket takes animal welfare extremely seriously and expects all suppliers to comply with its welfare requirements.
Tesco described the footage as distressing and said any failure to meet its standards would result in swift action.
Albyns Farm is located on land owned by the Crown Estate, which manages a large rural property portfolio across England and Wales.
However, the Crown Estate clarified that the site is a tenanted farm and said it has no involvement in the day-to-day management or operation of the business.
The allegations have sparked renewed debate over welfare standards within the dairy industry and whether existing inspection systems are robust enough to detect and prevent abuse.
Investigations into the allegations remain ongoing.