Arethusa Dairy

In 1999, we took a leap of faith and bought the historic Arethusa Farm, first established by the Webster family in 1868. The family had long since sold the property and over the years it had fallen into disrepair and was slated for development. We didn’t know yet how we would use it, but couldn’t bear the thought of Litchfield losing that open space. Since that fateful day it seems each day has been a new beginning.

Before long, it became apparent that the farm should once again be a dairy, as it had been for over a hundred years. Our first foray into dairying was simple enough, just five cows roaming the hilly pastures. But one thing led to another and soon the old barns were renovated and new ones added, until we had dedicated housing and pasture for the more than 300 cows that reside there today. From the beginning we’ve been committed to providing an outstanding level of care to our herd and it didn’t take long for these high standards to pay off in the form of exquisitely clean, rich milk.

It was this exceptional milk that ultimately led us to build a small dairy plant in the historic Bantam firehouse; it seemed only fitting that we use a building steeped in history to create “milk like it used to taste”. Following the dairy’s success, we opened the award-winning restaurant Arethusa al tavolo in 2014 and, then the bakery Arethusa a mano. Finally, just when we thought we were done, the opportunity arose to add a second dairy store in downtown New Haven and a third location in West Hartford Center. As our family of businesses continues to grow, each new endeavor is driven by our desire to share the quality of Arethusa products with our friends and neighbors.