Private company

Maypole Dairy Company

British company

The Maypole Dairy Company or Maypole Dairies were an early chain of British dairies who are also noted as the first people to promote the widespread use of margarine as an alternative to butter, originally under the name of Butterine but following legal action protecting this name was known as margarine from 1887. The logo of the company is a group of young people dancing around a maypole.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

  • Industryretail1
  • HeadquartersLondon1
Entrance to former Maypole Dairy shop, 276 Canongate, Edinburgh
Photo: Stephencdickson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons3

The Maypole Dairy Company or Maypole Dairies were an early chain of British dairies who are also noted as the first people to promote the widespread use of margarine as an alternative to butter, originally under the name of Butterine but following legal action protecting this name was known as margarine from 1887. The logo of the company is a group of young people dancing around a maypole.2

Sources

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