The history
Pic shamelessly stolen from google to show what it looked like before the over the top security fences.
In 1913, German bodybuilder and music hall performer Eugen Sandow, famous in his time as "Sandow the Great", a contender for the title of world's strongest man, opened a cocoa factory in Hayes. He is regarded by many as the father of modern bodybuilding, of all things, who rose to prominence in the late nineteenth century and claimed that chocolate, was the source of his strength.
Sandow's fortunes plummeted during World War I and The Sandow Cocoa Company went into liquidation, the building and assets passed to the Hayes Cocoa Company in 1916.
Hayes Cocoa was owned by Swiss chocolate company Peter, Cailler, Kohler. In 1929 the Nestlé Company bought out Peter, Cailler, Kohler and located its major chocolate and instant coffee works on the canal, adjacent to the railway east of the station; it was for many years the company's UK headquarters. The road that led to the factory was renamed Nestlé's Avenue (from Sandow Avenue, so-named after the German strongman); Sandow Crescent, a cul-de-sac off Nestlé's Avenue, remains.
Shortly after the takeover, Nestlé were approached by the Brazilian Coffee Institute who were looking for ways to deal with their surplus coffee supplies.
Nestlé began experimenting with ways to dry and capture the flavours of the beans, and after eight years of trial and error, the world's first instant coffee was devised and introduced to the market in 1939.
The Hayes factory was earmarked as the site that would roll the revolutionary new product off the line, and tonnes of it were sent over to troops fighting in the Second World War.
Hayes also produced some of the company's chocolate products until the end of the 1990s, when all of the factory was given over to the production of coffee.
The factory's elegant Art Deco façade survives, and is a local landmark.
In 2015 the Nestlé factory was sold to a property developer as it prepared to shut down with at least 85 redundancies. SEGRO plc bought the 30-acre site in Nestles Avenue for an undisclosed sum.
At the time a spokeswoman declined to comment on the firm's plans for plant.
Nestlé UK Ltd said 18 of the factory's 207 workers would remain at the site while equipment was being removed during the 'decommissioning process', which was expected to last between six and nine months.
In May 2018 the major redevelopment of the former Nestle factory in Hayes was been given the green light by the Mayor of London after a series of compromises were reached with developers.
SEGRO Plc have partnered with house builder Barratt to create a 1,381-home development, which will also have around four hectares of office space.
The scheme, which will see historic buildings in the factory restored and brought back in to use, was given outline approval at a Hillingdon Council meeting in December , but required the Sadiq Khan's approval before it could go ahead.
The Mayor's planning office had initially considered the development in June 2017, and said "whilst the scheme is strongly supported in strategic planning terms, the application does not yet fully comply with the London Plan."
Following nearly a year of negotiations between Hillingdon Council, the developers and the Greater London Authority (GLA), compromises were reached, including cash payments of around £5.3 million.
While the original plans contained a pledge for 35% affordable housing, the GLA and developers have now come to an agreement to increase the number by 74 homes, making 40% of the new homes affordable. The developers are likely to gain additional grant funding from the GLA to build these homes.
Around £1.5 million will be paid by developers as a carbon offset contribution, mitigating for a shortfall against the GLA's zero carbon standard for residential developments. A further financial contribution of £1.3 million was secured for local air quality monitoring.
The developers will also pay £1 million towards TfL's major improvement scheme at the Bull's Bridge A316 Roundabout. £475,000 in additional funding has also been agreed to improve bus capacity in the vicinity of the site.
Developers have also donated land along Nestles Avenue as well as £538,000 to create a "multi-modal transport spine" along the road, subject to further developments being approved. They also pledged £500,000 for "off-site flood/draining mitigation".
The Canteen Building, which was originally considered an area which could serve small minority enterprises, has instead been offered to Hillingdon Council. The locally listed building is likely to be used as a GP surgery and nursery.
The development will see the return of the original Sandow building, constructed in 1913 as Hayes' cocoa works plant. Over the last 60 years, when the factory was operated by Nestle, the Sandow building was modified in various ways, but SEGRO and Barratt have promised to return the factory to its original facade.
The site, which has never been publicly accessible, will also include three hectares of public space and a 1.3 km trail to a redeveloped canal frontage.
An estimated 300 local construction jobs will be created, while a further 500 permanent jobs are expected to come to the area thanks to the new office space.
The Explore
Seen this one online a few times posted by both @Speed and @clebby and always fancied a nose at it. Sadly it’s located on the complete opposite side of the M25 to me and I rarely get over that way.
Well for once I found myself on the opposite side of the M25 checking out another factory and decided to see if this was still doable.
Taking heed of the warnings about overzealous security in the afore mentioned reports I decided to park down the road and have a wander around the site and see what’s what. It appeared that security has since been downsized and only one guy sat in a hut by the main gate looks after the place.
Annoyingly the easiest place to hop the fence is right by the main gate, but this would be silly right. So I chose my entry point elsewhere and away from out single security guy.
I say it appeared that security had been downsized but come 6pm two more security cars appeared along with a few more guards.
I was on my way out around 7 and narrowly missed being seen by two of these guys riding around in a transit.
Anyhow enjoy the pics
The outside of this art-deco building is amazing, I do hope they stick to their words and keep it looking this way.
There are a couple of machine shops left inside, what a waste!!!
Pic shamelessly stolen from google to show what it looked like before the over the top security fences.
In 1913, German bodybuilder and music hall performer Eugen Sandow, famous in his time as "Sandow the Great", a contender for the title of world's strongest man, opened a cocoa factory in Hayes. He is regarded by many as the father of modern bodybuilding, of all things, who rose to prominence in the late nineteenth century and claimed that chocolate, was the source of his strength.
Sandow's fortunes plummeted during World War I and The Sandow Cocoa Company went into liquidation, the building and assets passed to the Hayes Cocoa Company in 1916.
Hayes Cocoa was owned by Swiss chocolate company Peter, Cailler, Kohler. In 1929 the Nestlé Company bought out Peter, Cailler, Kohler and located its major chocolate and instant coffee works on the canal, adjacent to the railway east of the station; it was for many years the company's UK headquarters. The road that led to the factory was renamed Nestlé's Avenue (from Sandow Avenue, so-named after the German strongman); Sandow Crescent, a cul-de-sac off Nestlé's Avenue, remains.
Shortly after the takeover, Nestlé were approached by the Brazilian Coffee Institute who were looking for ways to deal with their surplus coffee supplies.
Nestlé began experimenting with ways to dry and capture the flavours of the beans, and after eight years of trial and error, the world's first instant coffee was devised and introduced to the market in 1939.
The Hayes factory was earmarked as the site that would roll the revolutionary new product off the line, and tonnes of it were sent over to troops fighting in the Second World War.
Hayes also produced some of the company's chocolate products until the end of the 1990s, when all of the factory was given over to the production of coffee.
The factory's elegant Art Deco façade survives, and is a local landmark.
In 2015 the Nestlé factory was sold to a property developer as it prepared to shut down with at least 85 redundancies. SEGRO plc bought the 30-acre site in Nestles Avenue for an undisclosed sum.
At the time a spokeswoman declined to comment on the firm's plans for plant.
Nestlé UK Ltd said 18 of the factory's 207 workers would remain at the site while equipment was being removed during the 'decommissioning process', which was expected to last between six and nine months.
In May 2018 the major redevelopment of the former Nestle factory in Hayes was been given the green light by the Mayor of London after a series of compromises were reached with developers.
SEGRO Plc have partnered with house builder Barratt to create a 1,381-home development, which will also have around four hectares of office space.
The scheme, which will see historic buildings in the factory restored and brought back in to use, was given outline approval at a Hillingdon Council meeting in December , but required the Sadiq Khan's approval before it could go ahead.
The Mayor's planning office had initially considered the development in June 2017, and said "whilst the scheme is strongly supported in strategic planning terms, the application does not yet fully comply with the London Plan."
Following nearly a year of negotiations between Hillingdon Council, the developers and the Greater London Authority (GLA), compromises were reached, including cash payments of around £5.3 million.
While the original plans contained a pledge for 35% affordable housing, the GLA and developers have now come to an agreement to increase the number by 74 homes, making 40% of the new homes affordable. The developers are likely to gain additional grant funding from the GLA to build these homes.
Around £1.5 million will be paid by developers as a carbon offset contribution, mitigating for a shortfall against the GLA's zero carbon standard for residential developments. A further financial contribution of £1.3 million was secured for local air quality monitoring.
The developers will also pay £1 million towards TfL's major improvement scheme at the Bull's Bridge A316 Roundabout. £475,000 in additional funding has also been agreed to improve bus capacity in the vicinity of the site.
Developers have also donated land along Nestles Avenue as well as £538,000 to create a "multi-modal transport spine" along the road, subject to further developments being approved. They also pledged £500,000 for "off-site flood/draining mitigation".
The Canteen Building, which was originally considered an area which could serve small minority enterprises, has instead been offered to Hillingdon Council. The locally listed building is likely to be used as a GP surgery and nursery.
The development will see the return of the original Sandow building, constructed in 1913 as Hayes' cocoa works plant. Over the last 60 years, when the factory was operated by Nestle, the Sandow building was modified in various ways, but SEGRO and Barratt have promised to return the factory to its original facade.
The site, which has never been publicly accessible, will also include three hectares of public space and a 1.3 km trail to a redeveloped canal frontage.
An estimated 300 local construction jobs will be created, while a further 500 permanent jobs are expected to come to the area thanks to the new office space.
The Explore
Seen this one online a few times posted by both @Speed and @clebby and always fancied a nose at it. Sadly it’s located on the complete opposite side of the M25 to me and I rarely get over that way.
Well for once I found myself on the opposite side of the M25 checking out another factory and decided to see if this was still doable.
Taking heed of the warnings about overzealous security in the afore mentioned reports I decided to park down the road and have a wander around the site and see what’s what. It appeared that security has since been downsized and only one guy sat in a hut by the main gate looks after the place.
Annoyingly the easiest place to hop the fence is right by the main gate, but this would be silly right. So I chose my entry point elsewhere and away from out single security guy.
I say it appeared that security had been downsized but come 6pm two more security cars appeared along with a few more guards.
I was on my way out around 7 and narrowly missed being seen by two of these guys riding around in a transit.
Anyhow enjoy the pics
The outside of this art-deco building is amazing, I do hope they stick to their words and keep it looking this way.
There are a couple of machine shops left inside, what a waste!!!
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