United Dairies was founded in 1979 to release the first LP by Nurse With Wound. John Fothergill quickly started using the label to release other artists such as Lemon Kittens and Bombay Ducks and set up the side label Experimental Records to release more rock oriented music. The other member of NWW, Steven Stapleton found these releases to of poor quality, and eventually put his foot down when it came to the LP by Two Daughters which he insisted not be released on UD. Eventually, Stapleton took over the label when Fothergill retreated from musical activity.
Up to this point, released on United Dairies were primarily on LP, along with a handful of cassettes. In 1987, United Dairies released a 32 cassette box set containing most, but not all, of the back catalog, as well as several items not released by United Dairies before. But while the box held 32 tapes, the series of cassette reissues included 34 titles (one of which was quickly deleted). Buyers of the "Untied Diaries 1979-1987" set found themselves missing at least two titles, and often more as the sets often including duplicate copies of one or more titles. The entire cassette series was later bootlegged by RRRecords, who reproduced them in large quantities without any permission from UD.
Facing serious problem with their distributor The Cartel, distribution of United Dairies was taken over by People Who Can't, who eventually became World Serpent Distribution and took over manufacturing of titles as well. Through this period, UD releases were almost always by Nurse With Wound and directly related projects, with the notable exception of two disc by Volcano The Bear and a reissue of the Operating Theatre album. However, there were other things planned. Steve had hoped to release discs by irr. app. (ext.) and Earthmonkey as well, but was continually put off by World Serpent went it came to these releases.
After World Serpent Distribution folded in 2003, United Dairies has been manufactured and distributed by Jnana Records.

Labelcode: LC 05745 / LC 5745