High Peak MP Jon Pearce visits Nestlé Waters - as boss says the company is ‘investing in people’

The visit was hosted by Hannah Phillips, the factory manager, and Stefano Bolognese, who was recently appointed as Managing Director for the business in the UK.

Hannah said: “The visit was a great opportunity to highlight how we are investing in people and building competency through a number of initiatives, including apprentice and graduate programmes.”

Mr Pearce was shown around the state-of-the-art bottling plant and automated distribution centre, dedicated to improving our efficiencies.

Hannah said: “We are passionate at Buxton to build inclusive and diverse teams, focussed on delighting our consumers so they can enjoy our products all over the UK.”

Nestlé aims to halve its carbon emissions by 2030, and good water stewardship is supporting this journey.

In 2021, the Buxton site achieved the Alliance for Water Stewardship certification at the highest available, platinum level, recognising the site’s dedication to responsible water management and collaboration on shared needs of the water catchment area.

In 2024, the site was recertified at platinum level.

Stefano Bolognese said: “Our team in Buxton work hard to invest time and resources into this area.

“This includes working with local organisations, such as the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, to regenerate and protect local land, and re-route the River Ecclesbourne back to its original channel to promote biodiversity.

“Working with the Moors for the Future Partnership, we’ve supported enhancing Combs Moss peatland to slow the flow of water from the moor and help mitigate the risk of flooding downstream.”

Mr Pearce added: “I drive past the site every week so it was great to actually go inside. Nestlé is such an important local employer - being the custodians of our great Buxton water. Visiting the plant gives you a whole new perspective on the scale and precision that goes into producing something we often take for granted.

“It was fascinating to see the technology at work and hearing directly from the staff about their roles and experiences.

“Their focus on local employment and their support for apprenticeships and graduate programmes is really welcome.”