Fawdon Factory

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Fawdon Factory
Nestlé Fawdon
Fawdon Factory is located in Tyne and Wear
Fawdon Factory
Location within Tyne and Wear
Former namesRowntree's
Alternative namesNestlé Factory
General information
TypeFood manufacturing plant
Architectural styleManufacturing plant
LocationFawdon, NE3 3SU
Coordinates55°00′43″N 1°39′00″W / 55.012°N 1.65°W / 55.012; -1.65
Elevation60 m (197 ft)
Current tenantsNestlé Confectionery
Completed1958
Inaugurated1958
Cost£2m
ClientRowntree
OwnerNestlé UK Ltd
Dimensions
Other dimensions26 acres
Design and construction
Main contractorJohn Laing

The Fawdon Factory is a main confectionery factory in Fawdon, Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England, built by Rowntree's, and since 1988 run by Nestlé. As of 2014 it was Nestlé's largest UK factory after York.[1]

The building, but not any of Nestlé's business, is due to be transferred to Country Style Foods in 2024.[2]

History[edit]

Rowntree wanted the site of 26 acres. Rowntree was struggling to get enough workers in its main factory. The Estate and Property committee of Newcastle City Council were asked to approve the proposal on Wednesday 21 July 1954. The site would be for around eight hundred workers. Rowntree employed about 10,000 people.[3] The council voted by 38 to 25 to let Rowntree buy the land. The Labour group on Newcastle City Council had opposed the sale, as the Labour group wanted the land to be leased, not bought.[4]

The site would make Smarties, Fruit Gums and Fruit Pastilles.

Construction[edit]

The factory would cost around £2m, and was hoped to open in March 1958. It had 22 ovens.[5] The site was built by John Laing.[6]

Operation[edit]

A standard working week was 42 hours on a three-shift pattern, from 8am to 4pm, and 4pm to 12am.[7] Chocolate production began in 1971.[8]

By 1973 the site had around 1,300 staff,[9] and around 1500 by 1974.[10] Company transport was provided for women workers, but not for men.

There were around 1,200 workers in 1977; most workers belonged to the General and Municipal Workers' Union.

By September 1990 the factory employed around 850 workers.[11] The factory had around 730 workers in 1996.

Development[edit]

Rowntree[edit]

Disposable income was increasing in the 1970s, and sweets were heavily advertised to children on television; so the factory likewise had to expand, but automation was beginning too.[12] In 1979 VAT on confectionery was increased from 8 to 15%. Chocolate-coated biscuits were charged VAT, but other biscuits were not.[13][14]

Around 1983, consumers cut back on confectionery. A factory in Edinburgh closed around 1986, with around seven hundred redundancies, and much production moved to Fawdon. Smarties production would be moved from Fawdon in 1986.[15]

Nestlé[edit]

In May 1988, Nestlé attempted to buy the company.

Output of confectionery doubled at the plant over the 1980s, to 33,000 tonnes; confectionery consumption in the UK was increasing.[16] Production was moved from Glasgow in 1994,[17] and some production was moved to Dijon in eastern France.[18] In 1996 the Norwich factory closed with 900 redundancies, with some production moving to Fawdon. [19][20][21] Production of the Munchies brand moved to Fawdon in 2006, from York.[22]

In 2021 Nestlé announced plans to close the Fawdon Factory by 2023.[23] The Caramac bar was discontinued entirely by Nestlé in 2023 rather than moving production to another site.[24]

Sale to Country Style Foods[edit]

Following Nestlé's decision to close the factory in 2023, the property was sold to a local bakery company, Country Style Foods, in a deal to be completed in early 2024.[2]

Visits[edit]

The factory was featured on Channel 4 on 30 January 1986 in From The Inside.[25]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Will Metcalfe (27 August 2014). "Drugs found among Jelly Tots on the production line at Nestle factory in Fawdon". nechronicle.
  2. ^ a b Ford, Coreena (27 November 2023). "Nestle workers thrown lifeline as axed Fawdon factory is sold to bakery business". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  3. ^ Birmingham Daily Gazette Saturday 17 July 1954, page 3
  4. ^ Coventry Evening Telegraph Thursday 22 July 1954, page 2
  5. ^ Newcastle Evening Chronicle Friday 3 October 1958, page 10
  6. ^ Times Tuesday June 23 1959, page 17
  7. ^ Newcastle Evening Chronicle Monday 29 May 1961, page 7
  8. ^ Newcastle Evening Chronicle Saturday 9 May 1992, page 18
  9. ^ Newcastle Journal Thursday 5 April 1973, page 12
  10. ^ Newcastle Evening Chronicle Thursday 30 May 1974, page 18
  11. ^ Newcastle Evening Chronicle Wednesday 26 September 1990, page 27
  12. ^ Newcastle Evening Chronicle Wednesday 12 October 1977, page 17
  13. ^ Newcastle Evening Chronicle Wednesday 4 June 1980, page 11
  14. ^ HMRC rules on VAT on chocolate coated biscuits
  15. ^ Newcastle Evening Chronicle Thursday 29 November 1984, page 1
  16. ^ Newcastle Evening Chronicle Tuesday 28 May 1991, page 34
  17. ^ The Scotsman Friday 5 February 1993, page 4
  18. ^ Times Friday February 5 1993, page 21
  19. ^ Newcastle Evening Chronicle Friday 18 November 1994, page 6
  20. ^ Newcastle Journal Friday 18 November 1994, page 24
  21. ^ Times Friday November 18 1994, page 26
  22. ^ "275 jobs to go at chocolate firm". BBC News. 2 March 2006. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  23. ^ "Nestle to cut almost 600 jobs and shut Newcastle factory". BBC News. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  24. ^ "Fans lament as Nestlé axes Caramac bar after 64 years". BBC News. 8 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  25. ^ Aberdeen Evening Express Thursday 30 January 1986, page 2

External links[edit]

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