How a Derbyshire factory producing Nescafé instant coffee has been a key part of local life for more than 120 years
Image: Paul David Drabble)
When Nestlé opened its Tutbury factory in Derbyshire in 1901, it was primarily in the business of producing tinned milk, but switched to manufacturing Nescafé instant coffee in 1959.
Now the factory can turn out an impressive 170,000 jars of Nescafé every day and 25 million Nescafé Dolce Gusto pods a week, as well as a variety of Starbucks at Home coffee products.
And for the past 35 years of its existence Jane Downes has been working here, having started as a night cleaner before landing her dream job in the staff shop.
But her connection to the place goes back even further. Her mum was employed in the quality lab for 18 years, and as a teenager Jane used to walk with her to the Nestlé staff shop and wait for her to come out with a bag of goodies – not realising that one day she would be running the shop herself.
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Image:
Paul David Drabble)
It was here that Jane started to build relationships with the employees and pensioners, and the shop became the hub of the Nestlé community.
The community side of things is key. With the factory being a feature of the landscape for so many years, the bond between it and the local residents runs deep.
And Jane is very much part of that. Her proudest achievement has been fostering that relationship with free events hosted by Nestlé, including annual Halloween and “Butterflies and Bees” wildlife events for families, and a Christmas dinner for local pensioners.
For Jane, it’s clear that the special relationship between Nestlé and the local residents is a two-way street.
“It’s a very giving community,” she says. “All these events I do rely on a lot of goodwill from the local community. Without their support, it wouldn’t be happening.
“And the feedback they give you afterwards is absolutely amazing. It makes all the effort worthwhile, because the people obviously get so much enjoyment out of them.”
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Paul David Drabble)
Like Jane, 26-year-old Alex Hardcastle grew up locally and is following in the footsteps of her mum and sister, who both worked at the factory before her.
“That made me feel quite settled from the get-go,” she says. “But I was determined to put my own stamp on my time at Nestlé, and I think I’ve done that.”
Since joining as an agency casual on the factory floor aged 19, Alex has worked her way up to become interim health and safety manager. “Everyone is super-proud of what I’ve achieved,” she says.
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Image:
Paul David Drabble)
Thirty-year-old Joe Timmins has also forged his own path at the company. He is the third generation of his family to work at Tutbury, and after joining Nestlé as an apprentice at 16, he is now a project engineer.
“My dad’s felt like big boots to fill,” he says. “But I’ve gone down a different route – he was very hands-on, whereas I’m more office based.”
Both Alex and Joe know how meaningful these events can be.
“When I was younger, my mum used to get involved in them, and I’d go along too,” says Alex, who now helps to run the events herself.
“It really makes you have that sense of pride in where you work,” she explains.
Joe adds, “My grandma attended last year’s Christmas lunch with her sister, and I got the chance to go down and surprise them. It’s really special that they’re able to be a part of the Nestlé community too.”
