Nestlé and GXO Logistics showcased their flagship high-tech distribution centre at East Midlands Gateway in Leicestershire to the UK Minister for Industry last week, highlighting automation investment that now supports around 80% of Nestlé’s grocery distribution across the UK and Ireland.
The visit was organised by Logistics UK and brought together senior figures from Nestlé, GXO and government. Chris McDonald MP, Minister of State for Industry, toured the site alongside Amanda Hack MP, Member of Parliament for North West Leicestershire.
During the visit, the minister was shown how Nestlé and GXO are working together on innovation projects designed to improve speed, accuracy and flexibility in grocery distribution.
One of the main technologies demonstrated was RowPaQ, a purpose-built robotic palletising system developed to handle smaller, mixed-product orders for convenience store deliveries. The system is designed to support faster order assembly and better handling of high-frequency store replenishment.
East Midlands Gateway is positioned as a central hub within Nestlé’s UK logistics network. According to the companies, the site plays a critical role in moving everyday grocery products from production to retail shelves across the country.
The visit was hosted by Richard Hastings, Head of Logistics at Nestlé UK and Ireland, Chris Hyde, Managing Director for Food & Beverage at GXO, and Ben Fletcher, Chief Executive of Logistics UK.
Alongside the site tour, the minister joined industry leaders for a roundtable discussion focused on the future of UK logistics. Topics included the role of supply chains in economic growth, the pace of decarbonisation across freight operations, and the need to align workforce skills with automation investment.
Nestlé confirmed the East Midlands Gateway facility has created more than 200 local jobs, combining automated systems with on-site operational teams.
GXO said the partnership with Nestlé continues to expand as both companies invest in new technologies to improve performance and set higher benchmarks for large-scale food and beverage distribution.
The visit follows the distribution centre’s recent appearance in Nestlé UK and Ireland’s “Amazing Machines” content series, which highlights how automation and skilled labour are being combined to maintain consistent product flows across the national grocery network.
At a time when retailers are pushing for faster replenishment and tighter delivery windows, large-scale automated hubs like East Midlands Gateway are becoming more central to supply chain strategy across the UK FMCG sector.
