Welcome to First Choice – Where Goodness Meets Sustainability!
At First Choice, we extend a warm welcome to all Africans who appreciate the goodness of dairy with a touch of sustainability. While we proudly hail from South Africa, our goal is to provide high-quality, nutritious dairy to every corner of our beautiful continent. Our commitment goes beyond providing a range of quality products; it’s about fostering a connection with our communities and planet.
Discover the First Choice Difference:
Quality Meets Goodness: Our dairy products are more than just delicious; they embody the goodness of a meticulously managed value chain. From our happy, mostly pastured-fed cows to regenerative farming practices, and seamlessly continuing through every stage of the value chain – from our processing plants to the careful selection of packaging materials – we ensure that every sip and bite contribute to your well-being and the health of our planet.
Freshness Guaranteed.
Discover the First Choice Dairy Range:

UHT Milk - The Essence of Quality and Convenience
UHT Milk - The Essence of Quality and Convenience
Full Cream, Low-Fat, Skim Variants: First Choice Long Life Milk, available in full cream, low-fat, and skim variants, is a testament to our dedication to quality. Our commercially sterile process guarantees safety without compromising on taste. Conveniently packaged in 1.5-liter packs, 500 ml tear-top packs, 250ml cartons, or 200ml sachets, our UHT Milk is designed for ease of use – open, close, and pour with no fuss.

MILKI - UHT Flavoured Milk - Joy in Every Sip
MILKI - UHT Flavoured Milk - Joy in Every Sip
Delightful Flavors: Milki, our UHT Flavoured Milk, is a low-fat dairy drink that brings joy to every occasion. Perfect for a drink on the go, parties, or lunch boxes, Milki is available in four delectable flavours: Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate, and Banana. Free from added colorants, Milki is a family favourite, offering a tasty and nutritious snack in convenient 250ml packs.

UHT Vanilla Custard - Creamy Indulgence, Anytime, Anywhere
UHT Vanilla Custard - Creamy Indulgence, Anytime, Anywhere
Smooth Texture, Irresistible Vanilla Flavour: First Choice UHT Vanilla Custard is a treat for every occasion, offering a smooth texture with a delightful vanilla flavour. Enjoy it straight from the box, hot, or cold – the choice is yours. Available in 1-liter or 500ml packs, our custard is the perfect companion for any dessert, delivering an irresistible taste that truly feels like love.

UHT High Protein Recovery Milk – Recover Like a Pro
UHT High Protein Recovery Milk – Recover Like a Pro
21g of Protein, 8 Fortified Vitamins: First Choice High Protein Recovery Milk (HPR) is the ideal post-training snack, loaded with 21g of protein and fortified with 8 vitamins. Available in five sensational flavours – Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana Crème, Chocolate Mint, and Strawberry Vanilla – our ready-to-drink recovery milk aids in muscle repair and restoration, effectively delaying muscle soreness. Conveniently packaged in 250ml packs, it’s your best workout buddy.
Unlock the Power of Goodness
- Strong Teeth and Bones: First Choice dairy products are rich in calcium, a fundamental building block that supports the strength of your teeth and bones. It’s the foundation for a healthy, vibrant life.
- Protein-Packed Goodness: Our dairy offerings are a great source of protein, essential for providing sustained energy, aiding muscle tissue repair, and supporting the recovery process. Make First Choice your protein powerhouse.
- Muscle Growth Support: For those looking to grow strong, First Choice milk is the perfect companion. It provides the necessary nutrients to ensure healthy muscle development and maintenance.
- Maintain a Healthy Balance: Potassium, found in abundance in First Choice dairy, plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy blood pressure. It’s a natural way to keep your cardiovascular system in balance.
- Boost Your Defence: Loaded with essential vitamins, First Choice dairy products contribute to a robust immune system. Stay resilient against common illnesses and nurture your body’s natural defence.
- Radiant, Clear Skin: The vitamins in our dairy products are not only beneficial for internal health but also aid in maintaining clear and healthy skin. It’s a win-win for your overall well-being.
- Support Your Weight Goals: Studies have shown that when managed correctly, incorporating milk into your diet can aid in weight loss. Choose First Choice for a nutritious option that supports your weight goals.
- Versatility in Every Sip: First Choice dairy is incredibly versatile, allowing you to enjoy it in various ways. From enriching your morning coffee to enhancing your favourite recipes, the possibilities are endless.
- Stress Relief: Thanks to the vitamins and minerals in First Choice dairy, it doubles as a great stress reliever. Take a moment to unwind with a glass of goodness.
- Reducing Cholesterol: Regular consumption of milk has been linked to a reduction in cholesterol production in the liver. Make First Choice your ally in maintaining a healthy cholesterol level.
Our Recipes
Why Choose First Choice?
We invite you to actively seek and experience the goodness of First Choice. Look for our products at your nearest store and let our dairy delights become a staple in your household. Follow us on social media for updates, recipes, and a glimpse into our commitment to sustainability.
For Your Well-Being, For the Planet!
Your journey to discovering the goodness of dairy starts with First Choice. Actively seek our products, indulge in the variety we offer, and join our community on social media. Together, let’s make the First Choice – for your well-being and the well-being of our beautiful planet.
Proudly Produced by Woodlands Dairy – For the Good of All!
The proof is in the pudding
What people say:
Cream Cake
30 mins prep • 10 mins cook
Ingredients
- 250 g First Choice Butter, softened
- 625 ml cake flour
- 125 ml castor sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup First Choice Butter, cubed
- handful of raspberries
- chocolate blocks, or sliced
- flowers
- tiny marshmallows
- sweets of your choice
Directions:
For the shortbread cookies:
- Cut out the letter templates.
- Pre-heat oven to 180ºC.
- In an electric beater, beat the softened butter while adding the sugar bit by bit. Beat until combined.
- Add the flour one cup at a time and mix until a dough is formed.
- Measure wax paper on your baking tray and grease it. Place the piece of wax paper on a flat surface and roll out your dough thinly onto the wax paper. Make sure that all the dough is rolled out to approximately 1/2 cm thick as the thickness will affect baking time.
- You will need to cut out the shapes directly onto the wax-paper, as the cookies are too thin to move after cutting. Place your shapes onto the dough and use a sharp knife and cut out 4 x M-shapes and 2 x O-shapes.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes. Once golden brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
For the meringue icing:
- Measure out all your ingredients before starting as there is some precision involved in making the icing.
- Place the water and 125ml of the sugar in a non-stick pan on medium heat and stir until dissolved.
- Beat the egg whites until soft peak stage.
- Add the rest of the sugar to the egg whites and beat until glossy.
- Check if the melted sugar is at soft-ball stage: Use a spoon to scoop a bit of the sugar and place it into cold water. If the sugar dissolves, it is not ready. It should form a soft ball.
- Add the sugar mixture into the meringue while beating, making sure that it dribbles down the side of the mixing bowl into the meringue.
- Keep beating the icing until the bowl has cooled down.
- Add the First Choice Butter, bit by bit, and beat until smooth and creamy.
Assebbly:
- Use a flat surface platter to assemble the cream cake, to prevent the cookie letters from cracking.
- Place the first layer of cookies on the platter and ice with little blobs in neat rows, using a piping bag with a medium sized round nozzle.
- Place the second layer of cookie letters onto the icing, and repeat.
- Spread your toppings evenly between the letters, making sure the letters are full of colour and delicious treats with every bite.
- Bon Appetite!
Fried Mac & Cheese Balls
45 mins prep • 20 mins cook
Ingredients
- 250 g macaroni pasta, cooked until very soft and drained
- 80 g First Choice Butter
- 80 ml cake flour
- 375 ml First Choice Milk
- 200 g First Choice Mature Cheddar Cheese, grated
- 150 g mozzarella cheese, grated
- 200 g bacon, crispy fried and chopped
- 30 ml English mustard
- 2,5 ml chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 60 ml First Choice Milk
- 100 g panko breadcrumbs
- salt & pepper to taste
- sunflower oil for frying
- kitchen paper for draining
Directions:
- Melt the First Choice Butter in a small saucepan, add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add all of the 375 ml First Choice Milk. Stir well and return to the heat.
- Stir frequently until the mixture is thick and starts to boil. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the sauce, cheeses, pasta, bacon, chives, mustard and chili and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer to a dish to cool at room temperature, cover and leave in the fridge overnight (or a few hours).
- Beat together the eggs and 60 ml First Choice Milk.
- Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl.
- Scoop out large tablespoons of the chilled macaroni mixture and roll into balls (use a little cold water on your hands if needed to prevent sticking).
- Dip the balls into the egg and then into the panko crumbs.
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer or saucepan to 160°C and fry the balls until golden brown and crisp.
- Drain on the kitchen paper and garnish with chives
TIP – use pretzel sticks as toothpicks and serve as a delicious snack.
Cheesy Lasagne
40 mins prep • 50 mins cook
Ingredients
For the meat sauce:
- 15 ml First Choice Olive Oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 250 ml carrots, peeled and grated
- 30 ml chopped thyme
- 600 g low fat beef mince
- 1 tin chopped Italian tomatoes
- 120 ml tomato passata
- 120 ml tomato sauce
- 15 ml garlic and herb seasoning
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 5 ml paprika
For the cheese sauce:
- 80 g First Choice Butter
- 100 ml flour
- 1 l First Choice Milk
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 100 g First Choice Cheddar Cheese, grated
To finish:
- 150 g lasagne sheets (8 sheets)
- 160 g First Choice Cheddar Cheese, grated
- 60 ml basil pesto
- few vine tomatoes
-
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Heat the First Choice Olive Oil in a large pot and sauté the onion and garlic for two minutes.
- Add the meat. Season with salt and black pepper and stir to break up any lumps (use a fork).
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato passata, tomato sauce and the garlic and herb seasoning.
- Cover and simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.
- Prepare the cheese sauce: Heat the First Choice Butter on medium heat until melted, add the flour and stir on the heat for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in all the First Choice Milk.
- Return to the heat and stir all the time until it thickens and starts to boil. Season to taste, remove from heat and stir in the cheese.
- To layer lasagne: Spoon a few tablespoons of the meat sauce onto the bottom of the lasagne dish.
- Then place a layer of the pasta sheets and top with a layer of meat. Sprinkle over all the cheese and drizzle over all the pesto.
- Top with half of the cheese sauce.
- Finish off with the rest of the pasta sheets, meat sauce and the rest of the cheese sauce.
- Let the lasagne stand for 10 minutes before serving.
- Cover the lasagne dish with foil or a lid and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
- Remove the foil, top with the vine tomatoes and sprinkle over the paprika.
- Bake for another 10 minutes.
Hot Cross Bun Custard Bake
1 hr prep • 30 mins cook
Ingredients
For the Hot Cross Buns:
- 240 ml First Choice Milk, warm
- 4 cups flour
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/4 cup First Choice Butter
- 2 eggs eggs, large
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp candied orange peel
- 1 tbsp vanilla essence
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup orange juice, warm
- 1 cup First Choice Custard
- 5 tbsp cornflour
- 1/4 cup apricot jam
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
For the Hot Cross Bun Custard Bake:
- 1 l First Choice Custard
- 15 Hot Cross Buns
- 1/4 cup apricot jam
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup First Choice Butter
Directions:
For the Hot Cross Buns:
- Measure out all the ingredients for the dough.
- Separate the milk into two ½ cup portions.
- Place a ½ cup of First Choice Milk in a small saucepan, and the other ½ in the mixer bowl.
- Take the 2 ½ tbsp of the measured flour, and whisk it into the milk in the saucepan. Make sure the flour-milk mix is completely smooth, with no lumps.
- Heat the flour-milk mix over medium heat, while whisking constantly. After a few minutes, the flour-milk mix will start to thicken. Keep mixing while whisking, until you have a runny paste.
- Remove from the heat. The tangzhong paste is now ready.
- Cover with plastic wrap, making sure it’s touching the surface of the paste. Let it cool down to room temperature before using.
- Dissolve ½ tbsp of the sugar in the warm milk in your mixer bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and stir gently. Let the yeast activate for about 10 – 15 minutes until it looks frothy and foamy.
- Let the raisins sit in the warm orange juice for at least 30 minutes (this is to soften the raisins and for them to absorb orange flavour). Drain and lightly squeeze the raisins to make sure they are not soaked.
- Into the mixing bowl with the activated yeast – add the sugar, eggs, melted First Choice Butter, spices, zest, flour paste and vanilla. Add the remaining flour, and finally the salt.
- Mix all the ingredients together to form a loose and bumpy dough.
- With the kneading hook attached to the stand mixer – knead the dough until you have a smooth dough (about 2 – 3 minutes).
- The consistency of the dough should be soft and sticky. When kneading the dough at mid-speed, the dough should still stick to the bottom, but not to the sides of the bowl.
- Knead the dough for a further 10 – 12 minutes.
- When the dough is smooth and shiny and well kneaded, you can add the prepared raisins and mixed peel, and fold them into the dough until they are well distributed.
- Place the ball of dough in an oiled bowl, covered with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise, until doubled in size, for about 1 hour.
- Shape the dough into balls that are bigger than a golf ball but smaller than a tennis ball and place in a baking pan lined with baking paper.
- Mix the First Choice Custard with the cornflour and pour the mixture into a piping bag to pipe crosses on each bun.
- Bake at 180°C for 25 to 30 min.
- While baking, heat the apricot jam, honey and vanilla essence in the microwave for about 1 minute.
- Brush the warm apricot glaze over the warm buns, and leave it to cool completely.
For the Hot Cross Bun Custard Bake:
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Cut the buns in half and butter both cut sides.
- Then spread apricot jam liberally.
- Cut the bottom half of the buttered buns into smaller pieces and arrange in a buttered ovenproof dish.
- Pour entire box of custard over the pieces in the dish.
- Arrange the top half of the buns on top.
- Sprinkle the Hot Cross Buns with brown sugar and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the buns are golden brown and the custard is set.
- Dig in!
Passionfruit Custard Croissant Pudding
30 mins prep • 25 mins cook
Ingredients
- 6 medium sized all-butter croissants
- 80g First Choice Butter, melted
- 30ml passionfruit pulp
For the Custard:
- 750ml First Choice Custard
- 350ml First Choice Milk
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 4 eggs
- 100g castor sugar
- 80ml passionfruit pulp
For serving:
- 200ml First Choice Whipping Cream
- Passionfruit pulp for drizzling
- Icing sugar for dusting
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C.
- Combine the 80g melted butter and the 30ml passionfruit pulp.
- Cut the croissants in half, horizontally and brush with the melted butter and passionfruit pulp. Sandwich the croissants together again and cut in half. Place into a rectangular ovenproof baking dish.
- Combine the custard, milk and lemon zest in a saucepan and heat – do not allow to boil.
- Beat the eggs and the castor sugar together and add the warm custard mixture to the eggs whilst stirring.
- Add the passionfruit pulp. Pour the mixture over the croissant halves.
- Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the croissants to soak up the custard (optional).
- Bake the pudding in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a cooling rack.
- Whip the cream and spoon dollops of cream on the pudding. Drizzle over some more passionfruit pulp.
- Dust with icing sugar and serve.
Unbaked Milktart
25 mins prep • 10 mins cook
Ingredients
Crust
- 200g coconut OR digestive biscuits, crushed
- 5ml ground cinnamon
- 100g First Choice Butter, melted
Filling
- 800ml First Choice Full Cream Milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5ml vanilla essence
- 4 eggs
- 110g castor sugar
- 40g cornflour
- 35g cake flour
- 70g First Choice Butter
- Ground cinnamon OR cinnamon sugar for sprinkling
Directions:
To make the crust:
- Grease a 24 cm pie dish.
- Mix the crushed biscuits, cinnamon and melted butter together.
- Press the mixture into the prepared pie dish to make an even crust.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before adding the filling.
To make the filling:
- Place the milk, cinnamon stick and vanilla in a saucepan on medium heat and bring to just before boiling point.
- Lightly beat the eggs with the sugar then add the corn flour and flour and mix to a smooth paste.
- Pour the hot milk into the egg mixture and stir rapidly.
- Return the mixture to low heat and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture is thick and starts to boil.
- Remove from the heat and add the butter – mix in gently.
- Pour the filling into the chilled tart crust and sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Cool completely before serving.
Custard Yoghurt Tart
15 mins prep • 0 mins cook
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 packets of tennis biscuits
- 180 g First Choice Butter
For the Tart Filling:
- 3 cups First Choice Custard
- 1 cup First Choice Double Cream Plain Yoghurt
- 1 packet pineapple jelly
Directions:
- Use 1/4 cup of boiling water to dissolve the jelly and set aside to cool.
- Crush the biscuits and mix it with the softened butter.
- Press the biscuits into the base of a tart dish, to form the crust.
- Mix the First Choice Custard, First Choice Yoghurt and jelly together in a mixing bowl and then pour over the prepared crust.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours.
- Eat it as is, or decorate with whipped cream and/or fruit.
- Enjoy!











