Six young First Milk farmers who supply to Nestlé’s factories in Dalston, Cumbria and Girvan, Scotland have recently visited the company’s York site and local retail stores to learn what it takes to get a product from the factory to the supermarket shelf.
In the third event of the Next Generation Dairy Leaders Programme, the farmers toured the factory and Nestlé’s Product Technology Centre to learn about the company’s innovations and how their milk is used in the production of Nestlé confectionery products, such as Kit Kat and Aero.
They also paid a visit to local Asda and Tesco stores to learn how Nestlé respond to their consumers’ needs and how field salesmen work with retailers to improve the availability and visibility of the products.
The farmers also had the opportunity to hear from external speakers about global trends in the food and drink industry and what makes a powerful brand.
Paul Barrow, a 26 year old farmer from Cumbria said of the event:
“The third event on the programme proved really beneficial in gaining a better understanding of the supply chain. I was shocked at the amount of work which Nestlé do with their customers and I will never look at a supermarket shelf in the same way again! It was also a real insight to hear from speakers about the work that goes into making and developing a brand.”
Kevin Lawrie, a 25 year old farmer from Ayrshire, Scotland added:
“The third event was very interesting and informative. It's great from a farmer's view to see that Nestlé cares about the company as much as we care about our farms. Everyone from the factory workers to the sales team and the field officers all care about their brands and this is great to see and leaves us feeling confident for the future.”
Nestlé and First Milk launched the Next Generation Dairy Leaders Programme in February 2016, a scheme for young farmers that aims to identify, nurture and develop the next generation of dairy leaders.
The programme forms part of Nestlé’s long-term partnership with First Milk to improve the sustainability of their farms and develop a more sustainable and efficient supply chain with a reduced environmental impact.
The Nestlé First Milk Partnership comprises 106 farmers in Cumbria, Ayrshire and Wigtownshire providing high quality fresh milk used in the manufacture of brands, such as Kit Kat and Nescafé Café Menu.
140 million litres of milk goes into producing Nestlé UK confectionery and Nescafé products every year. This constitutes 1% of the UK’s total milk volume and 8% of Scotland’s.
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For more information, please contact Nestlé Press Office on 020 8667 6005 [email protected]