On Monday 4 December, Nestlé Tutbury factory, home to the iconic Nescafé coffee brand, hosted a Christmas lunch for 61 elderly residents from local villages, including esteemed Nestlé retirees, for an afternoon of coffee and companionship.
The event stirred up the community spirit by serving a feast of festive flavours for the guests and offered a special opportunity to welcome back those who had worked at the factory in years past.
The Christmas lunch provided a meaningful occasion for guests to chat, share a brew, and foster new connections with fellow community members. Adding to the festive ambiance, the village's local wind band performed carols, furthering the cheerful Christmas spirit.
Anthony Ball, a Nestlé retiree, said, "It’s a wonderful thing Nestlé is doing for the local community. You hear of the warm spaces, but you [Nestlé] are providing all this for us, and for some, it might be the only Christmas dinner they get to have and share with other people."
Jane Downes, Staff Shop Assistant at Nestlé Tutbury factory, who was involved in organising the event, said: “I’m so proud that we have organised the pensioners lunch this afternoon as this is something I’ve always wanted to do. With the factory being so community focused it’s just nice to be able to bring everyone together - ex-employees and local residents.”
Nescafé was first produced in the Tutbury factory in 1959, however the site has been an integral part of the Staffordshire community for over 120 years, originally opened by Nestlé as a milk factory in 1901.
The Christmas lunch was attended by two special Nestlé retirees, Frances Toye and Anthony Ball, who were featured in the recent Nescafé Behind the Beans campaign. Frances and Anthony are coffee superfans. Not only do they cherish their decades of experience working for Nestlé, but they also love the community created around it.
Launched in October, the six-week corporate campaign by Nestlé UK and Ireland aims to help build consumer trust and increase awareness of the company's coffee expertise. As part of the Behind the Beans Campaign, Nestlé invites coffee lovers to go ‘behind the beans’ to get a taste for the brand's rich UK heritage, manufacturing expertise, and passion for quality and sustainability.
The campaign takes consumers on a tour showcasing the Nescafé factory in Tutbury and people behind the brand, from the coffee-growers to the bean tasters, to its manufacturing experts and sustainability specialists who all share the same passion to deliver the perfect cup.
Find out more about the campaign here and watch Frances and Anthony’s story here.
Pictured in title image (l-r): Nestlé retirees Anthony Ball and Frances Toye.