Nestlé is to invest £28m at its factory in Dalston, Cumbria, to grow its capacity to produce instant ‘frothy’ coffee sachets.
It will install two new packing lines at a cost of £10.7m, each capable of producing up to 60,000 frothy coffee sachets per hour. The new lines will be able to use new packaging materials, including Mono PP laminate, allowing for sachet packaging to be fully recyclable.
Meanwhile, a new £17.5m mixing plant will help increase efficiencies in production and reduce manual labour requirements. The four-storey plant would reduce heavy lifting on-site by 80%, Nestlé said.
Nestlé Dalston has been producing Nescafé Frothy Coffee products since 1962, and makes products including Nescafé Cappuccino and Latte, Coffee Mate, and the Starbucks range of Latte products.
The factory was originally built in Cumbria due to its proximity to dairy farms which provide the milk used in the sachets.
“We are very proud of our British manufacturing and this investment reflects the great work being done by our teams to position the UK as a market with significant manufacturing expertise and capability,” said Richard Watson, CEO of Nestlé UK&I.
“The Dalston investment is a prime example of how we’re investing in the future of the British food and drink industry – modernising our operations and supporting local jobs, driving growth opportunities and being more sustainable.”
The investment comes as demand for instant coffee sachets continues to grow, driven by demand for convenience and portability.
Brands are responding to the trend with the launch of indulgent, coffee-shop style flavours in sachet form.
Last December, Nestlé partnered with Kit Kat to launch chocolate-flavoured latte sachets in the UK.
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