Nestlé UK boosts coffee production at Tutbury

10-Mar-2016 - Last updated on 10-Mar-2016 at 15:24 GMT

The factory was officially opened today. Pic: iStock.

Nestlé has officially opened its improved factory in Tutbury, UK, following a £325m ($462m) investment in the site.

The Derbyshire factory has been developed into what Nestlé calls a ‘Coffee Centre of Excellence,’ which houses all forms of coffee production on one site (including freeze dried, spray dried and pod technology). It is the first time this has been done in the UK.

The investment has been made over five years, and has created 425 new jobs.

The new factory was opened today by the UK’s Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Sajid Javid.

Dulce Gusto coffee exports

The Tutbury factory was opened in 1901 to produce condensed milk, and started manufacturing Nescafé soluble coffee in 1959.

The site is now responsible for all Nescafé production in the UK, including Dolce Gusto coffee capsules.

In 2015, more than 1.8bn Dolce Gusto coffee capsules were produced at Tutbury. Of these, 85% were exported to a total of 70 markets, which included the US, Germany, Brazil, France, Switzerland, Italy, Japan and Mexico.

Dame Fiona Kendrick, chairman and CEO of Nestlé UK and Ireland, said the redevelopment of the site has made processes more efficient, installed state-of-the-art machinery, and given employees new skills.

More than 1,000 people are employed at the site, including 23 apprentices.

Pictured below: the official opening of the factory today.