Nestle to spend £9m transforming its York offices into a ‘greener, post-pandemic workplace’

Nestlé has revealed plans to refurbish its York offices to create a ‘greener, more flexible workplace for a post-pandemic world’.

The extensive refurbishment of Nestle House on Haxby Road will see the office space transformed, with new and varied working areas.

Alongside traditional desk space, there will be more places for people to meet and to collaborate and connect informally.

Plans developed before the pandemic have been overhauled to design a workplace expected to fit with the demands of post-pandemic working.

After more than a year of working from home, the emphasis will be on flexibility with a blend of home and office working.

It is the first major refurbishment since Nestlé House was built in 1969. The new office, which houses 900 employees, is scheduled to reopen from January 2022. 

Stefano Agostini, CEO for Nestlé UK & Ireland, said: “Nestlé House is the home of our famous confectionery business and many of our critical functions. It has a significant heritage and is fundamental to the future of our business.

“This investment will help us to provide a modern working environment that supports the health and wellbeing of our people.

“The design is also kinder to the planet, with energy efficiency solutions to reduce the amount of energy required for heating, lighting and cooling in the building, among other improvements.”

The company plans to be ‘net zero’ by 2050. 

Dogs can return

Nestlé’s head of workplace and wellbeing, Jo Ward, said only 60% of our the desks were being used at any given time even before the pandemic.

Very few people spent their full working day at a desk. Instead, their time was more often spent moving between various meeting rooms.

“We know people want to come together to work together and connect but they also need the option of quiet space to focus in a different way so our designs reflect this.

“We have created a variety of working zones so we can encourage employees to work in the area most appropriate for the work they are doing throughout the day.”

There are plans for dogs to return to the office with their owners once the refurbishment is complete.

An upgrade to the ground floor of Nestlé House, including new reception, meeting area, gymnasium and redesigned restaurant was completed two years ago.

This ground floor area will be one of those available for employees to meet and work together while the other floors are being renovated, once restrictions can be lifted.  

Nestlé is the largest employer in York with the Haxby Road site home to several of the company’s key functions; its confectionery headquarters, distribution centre and global research and development facility; and the factory which produces KitKat.