Nestlé's Tutbury factory, home to the iconic Nescafé coffee, opened its doors to the community on Tuesday 29 April, hosting a special afternoon tea to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day. The event brought together 102 pensioners from the local area for a memorable afternoon filled with camaraderie and nostalgia.

The celebration featured a delightful VE Day Afternoon Tea, complete with entertainment and a display of historical memorabilia, including a 1943 Willy’s Jeep, a Citroen u23 army lorry, a 1934 Riley Monaco car and two WWII motorcycles.

The afternoon’s schedule included an introduction from Factory Manager, David Guest, a two-minute silence followed by The Last Post, a very moving moment, played by a single musician while veterans stood to remember the events of 80 years ago, and concluded with a sumptuous afternoon tea. Guests were treated to entertainment by musicians from the factory and had the opportunity to explore memorabilia, along with a display of vintage military vehicles.

The event created a meaningful occasion for attendees to chat, share stories, and foster new connections with fellow community members.

Two local community members and the factory manager smiling and talking at afternoon tea.

Jane Downes, Staff Shop Assistant at Nestlé Tutbury, and one of the team on site who carefully organised the event, said:

“It was a privilege to host this special celebration for our local pensioners. The spirit of VE Day is a reminder of the importance of community and connection, and we are proud to honour this significant milestone together.”

Anita and Chris, local residents who attended the event, said:

“We’ve had an amazing afternoon. The food was beautiful, the cakes delicious and the atmosphere wonderful. We enjoyed the music and even had a little sing-along. We took a walk outside to have a look at the vehicles – a true walk down memory lane."

“We would like to say a huge thank you to Nestlé for putting on the event and for making us feel such a part of the community”

The VE celebrations at Nestlé Tutbury also welcomed notable retired employees, including Anthony Ball, who was featured in the Nescafé Behind the Beans campaign.

Nescafé was first produced at Nestlé’s Tutbury factory in 1959, but the site has been an integral part of the Staffordshire and Derbyshire community for over 120 years, having originally opened as a milk factory by Nestlé in 1901. It was one of the first factories built by Nestlé in the UK.

Today, the Tutbury factory can produce an impressive 170,000 jars of instant coffee every 24 hours. It stands as a Centre of Excellence for Nestlé coffee brands, including Nescafé Original, Nescafé Gold, Nescafé Azera and Nescafé Dolce Gusto, housing all forms of coffee production including freeze dried, spray dried, and pod technology on one site.