Nestlé UK is set to cut more than 450 jobs as part of a global turnaround plan launched by its CEO Philipp Navratil.
The job losses will mostly hit staff and managers at its York and Gatwick sites, although factories across the UK could be affected, according to trade union GMB.
“These job cuts will rip the heart out of communities,” said Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, national secretary of GMB. “Nestlé workers – who make some of the UK’s best-loved treats – have already put up with years of uncertainty and job losses.
“GMB will be working closely with members and the company to ease the pain of these cuts as much as possible.”
A Nestlé spokesperson told The Grocer: “We said in 2025 that we will reduce our global workforce by 16,000 roles and that process is ongoing. As always, we will manage any changes in the right way and in consultation with our people. Any proposed changes will always be shared with those affected first and we have no further update to give at this time.”
The redundancies form part of a wider overhaul announced by Navratil in 2025 that involved plans to cut around 16,000 roles worldwide over the next two years as it targets cost savings of CHF3bn (£2.8bn) by the end of 2027. The layoffs were expected to include 12,000 “white-collar jobs”, as well as 4,000 cuts in production and supply chain.
Navratil was brought in as CEO after the dismissal of former CEO Laurent Freixe following an investigation into a “romantic relationship with a direct subordinate”. He began his career with Nestlé in 2001, working across various roles in South America before joining Nespresso in July 2024 and become a member of the company’s executive board in January 2025.
Early results suggests Navratil’s turnaround is paying off. In its first-quarter results, Nestlé reported organic growth of 3.5%, with group volumes up 1.2%, despite a 0.9 percentage point headwind from infant formula recalls. All of its seven divisions reported higher unit sales.
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