Building on the success of last year’s event, Nestlé's Tutbury factory, home to the iconic Nescafé coffee, once again opened its doors to the community, hosting a heartwarming Christmas lunch for elderly residents on Wednesday 4th December.
100 attendees, including esteemed Nestlé retirees, gathered for an afternoon filled with coffee, companionship and festive spirit.
The Christmas lunch stirred up community spirit by serving a range of delicious festive dishes for guests and providing a special opportunity to reconnect with former employees of the factory.
The event created a meaningful occasion for attendees to chat, share stories over a warm brew, and foster new connections with fellow community members. To enhance the Christmas spirit, two Nestlé Tutbury employees sang carols, and four pensioners, who are members of local church choirs, joined in, creating a truly festive atmosphere.
Adding to the festive cheer, guests also participated in a charity raffle and a fun chocolate treasure hunt to help raise money for Nestlé’s corporate charities.
Jane Downes, Staff Shop Assistant at Nestlé’s Tutbury Factory, and one of the event organisers, expressed her excitement: “I am thrilled to see so many familiar faces at this year’s Christmas lunch. It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring our community together and celebrate the spirit of the season. Events like this remind us of the importance of connection and compassion, and I’m proud to be part of a team that values our local residents and Nestlé retirees.”
Joy and Steve, local residents, added: “My husband and I would like to say a huge thank you for the wonderful lunch today. We will be on our own at Christmas and a turkey would be a waste for us, so your wonderful turkey dinner really meant so much to us. You all spoilt us, thank you for taking such good care of us. You have really made our Christmas and we wish you and your colleagues a very happy Christmas.”
The Christmas lunch welcomed many Nestlé retired employees, including Anthony Ball, who was featured in the Nescafé Behind the Beans campaign alongside former colleague Frances Toye. Both are passionate coffee enthusiasts who cherish their decades of experience working for Nestlé and the strong sense of community that has developed around it.
Watch Frances and Anthony’s inspiring story here.
Nescafé was first produced at the Tutbury factory in 1959, but the site has been an integral part of the Staffordshire community for over 120 years, having originally opened as a milk factory by Nestlé in 1901.
