A FOOD factory has received praise from a Government minister after adapting its production processes to keep going during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Victoria Prentis, parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was given a virutal tour of Nestle’s Dalston Nescafe factory on Tuesday.

The minister, who represents Banbury was shown, the changes in a video tour.

She saw the adaptations put in place to ensure manufacturing at the site, known as s the 'home of frothy coffee mixes' kept going.

During the pandemic factory manager Anthony Swarbrook and his team talked through the challenges of maintaining coffee supply while keeping the workforce safe.

He said: “I was very proud to be able to talk to minister Prentis about the measures we have put in place at Dalston. 

"She was very interested to hear how we have adapted and changed the way we work throughout the pandemic, and how we continue to not only supply our coffee but keep our colleagues safe.”

Ms Prentis also heard more about Nestlé UK Milk Plan - its milk sourcing initiative. 

Since 2010 Nestle has been working with First Milk, a British farmer owned dairy co-operative, building a relationship focused on developing long-term sustainable supply chains that support farmers, the local community and the environment.

Ms Prentis said: “It was great to visit Nestlé Dalston to see virtually first-hand how the team have continued production while putting staff safety at the forefront of their operations.

“The Government is enormously grateful to all of those who have continued to feed the nation throughout this pandemic, recognising that these hidden heroes up and down the country have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure workplaces are Covid-19 secure and safe.”

The company set up the Factory in Dalston, a village near Carlisle in 1962 to produce powdered and condensed milk.

In 1992 it started making cappuccino mixes, the factory produces a range of Nescafe Gold Frothy Coffees, Nescafé Azera Cappuccino and Latte and Coffee Mate, a whitener for beverages – all for the UK and export around the world.

About 300 people work at the factory.

Over the last decade the company invested £70 million into the site to develop new products.

The factory uses about 350,000 litres of milk a day, 63 million litres every year.

The company has more than 2000 brands and are present in 191 countries.