Our colleagues were honoured to join Cumbria’s farming community last week to celebrate the winners of the Cumbria Farmer Awards 2025.
Around 230 farmers and industry professionals attended the event at the Greenhill Hotel, Wigton, where we were proud to sponsor the Farmers’ Choice Award. The event was commemorated by speeches from Maureen Hodges, Farming and Rural Affairs Editor and the headline sponsor, David Allen. A charity auction also took place in support of Farming Community Network, led by auctioneer John Wharton, which raised just under £6,000.
The award was presented to the winner, The Farmer Network, by Factory Manager at Nestlé Dalston, Ian Pipes. Farmer Network is an independent not-for-profit company providing help and support to farmers in Cumbria, the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland.
Attendees from our Dalston factory included Ian Pipes; Factory Manager, Alice Wright; Safety, Health and Environment Manager, Marie Gilmour; Manufacturing Excellence Manager and Emily Bell, Quality Assurance Manager.
This is the fourth year that we have sponsored the awards which recognises the vital work farmers do in Cumbria to protect and invest in the future of farming.
In Cumbria, our Nestlé Dalston factory has been making milk-based products since 1962. Dalston was the perfect spot as it’s close to dairy farmers which provide the fresh milk for the perfect Nescafé cappuccinos – we make 25 million of them every week.
Factory Manager, Ian Pipes, said: “The Cumbria Farmer Awards were a fantastic celebration of the region’s farming community. We’re proud to have sponsored the Farmers' Choice Award for the fourth consecutive year, recognising the dedication of farmers and organisations like The Farmer Network.
“At Nestlé Dalston, we’re committed to supporting regenerative agriculture and the future of British farming. For more than 20 years, we’ve partnered with First Milk to benefit farmers, their cows, and their communities, helping to enrich the British countryside.
“By supporting sustainable farming practices, we can continue to bring Nescafé, made with local British milk, to homes across the UK and Ireland.”
