Who says the summer months are quiet! There has certainly been a lot going on within our industry and during this period we have seen redundancies, personnel changes and even a management buyout - please check the news pages for a full up roundup of industry activities.

KioskCom Europe’s astounding launch event in 2006 exceeded all expectations by delivering 30% more attendees than were expected. Big news at KioskCom HQ is that with still 3 months to go they had to expand the floorplan due to increased demand for space AND have immediately SOLD half the new stands!

DED Ltd, one of the UK’s largest distributors of kiosk printing solutions, will be featuring a complete range of thermal and dot matrix kiosk printers, mechanisms and interfaces at KioskCom, Olympia, November 7 & 8.

Seaga UK has launched the ultimate solution to Dual Zone Vending. The SP430D from the innovative Seaga Premium Collection range is the ideal machine for vending cold drinks and cool snacks.

Ho Sete, a busy café bar and on-premise bakery at The Belfry shopping centre at Redhill in Surrey, has further improved its green credentials by changing to purchasing its coffee beans in biodegradable hessian sacks instead of 1kg foil bags with one-way valves.

The Automatic Vending Association (AVA) is proud to announce that Brian Tustain of Associated Vending Services (AVS) has accepted their invitation to represent the vending industries of the UK and Ireland at the European Vending Association (EVA).

Eurogran UK are pleased to announce that they have recently gained the RefreshU Group business with immediate effect.
The group, currently chaired by Ian Plummer at City Vending in Edinburgh, awarded Eurogran UK their Group’s business at a recent meeting with Kevin Burns, Eurogran UK’s Sales Manager, and the contract will take effect from 16th July.

The AVA Executive and Board have conducted a detailed review of current and future income and expenditure for the Association taking account of:

• Industry cost pressures facing Members and the need to ensure the best possible value for money from AVA subscriptions
• Continuing Industry consolidation is reducing subscription income
• Forecast lower surpluses from future AVEX exhibitions which provide an important source of income for the AVA

Britvic receives competition authority approval for purchase of soft drinks and distribution businesses of Irish firm C&C Group.
Coca-Cola Enterprises makes two key marketing appointments to bolster Appletiser soft drink brand in the UK.
International point of use (POU) water cooler manufacturer Waterlogic forges exclusive distribution agreement with ISS Australia.

How To Handle Your Company Publicity is a new 184pp A5 Guide from Alan Godfrey of AGM Publicity, packed with PR insights and tips, with easyto- follow guidance to help any size company run DIY publicity operations in-house and save money while boosting its profile and sales. It answers the problems of a lack of knowledge of publicity procedures plus restricted staff time and budget holding back many UK companies.

Abbeychart has named Steve Slark as Managing Director Designate to take over from Peter Best who will become Group Chairman. Promoted from Sales & Marketing Director, Slark has extensive knowledge of the pure water, control and instrumentation industries, and will head up a young and dynamic team of specialists to supply components and consumables to the espresso, vending, soft drinks and pure water industries.

First timer John Ferguson from Bettavend in Eastleigh, Hampshire, came up trumps at the Eurogran UK Golf Day on the Arden Course on the 19th July, taking almost every prize.
Ferguson walked off with Best Overall Score, 37 points; Longest Drive on the 12th, and member of the winning team, along with Steve Gallagher, John Rowe and Fekade Zewde, who also presented the prizes with Kevin Burns.

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust have signed a five-year deal with vending operator, Springbank Industries.

The agreement will provide a range of upgraded beverage and snack machines, and shopfitted retail solutions across the three sites, City Hospital, Sandwell Hospital, and Rowley Regis Hospital.

Following the report Turning the Tables: Transforming School Food, published by the School Meals Review panel in October 2005, the School Food Trust was asked to take forward the Panel’s recommendations to transform school food and food skills to improve the health and education of children and young people. It aims to realise this vision over the next three years.

Boston Spa, in Wetherby, West Yorkshire is a comprehensive secondary School with Sports College Status and a student population of 1850 aged 11-18.

Bridging the gap between the independent and ‘big brand’ suppliers, Aimia delivers all the professional qualities of the big brand owner, whilst being able to provide a personal service to all customers, large or small. Aimia Foods is ultimately more flexible, with the ability to respond to specific needs such as complying with government guidelines within the education sector.

News about unhealthy school dinners, adolescent obesity and parents struggling with their children’s diets, ranks high on the agenda of national newspapers such as The Daily Mirror, The Times and The Sun. News Stories about schools banning junk food from lunchboxes or the use of fingerprint scanning to monitor pupils’ diets, demonstrate how schools and parents alike are increasingly becoming worried about kids’ diets.

Hertfordshire-based St Albans School can trace its history from 948AD. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the school’s activities were temporarily suspended before its re-foundation in 1570. Having flourished for 300 years, it moved in 1870 to occupy its current premises at the Great Gateway of the Abbey in St. Albans.

VI - When and where was KLIX® established?
RM - Mars Drinks - previously Four Square Drinks until it recently took on the Mars corporate brand name in the UK - comprises the market leading vending brands KLIX® and FLAVIA. The company is currently present in the UK, Germany, France, the U.S and Japan and has developed into the global market leader in the drinks vending industry and now serves over one billion drinks worldwide each year through the KLIX® and Flavia brands.

VI - How did it all begin for FP?
FP - Feast Point was founded in 2003 by Jonathan Skeath following his experiences of working in an office and not being able to get good quality hot food outside of the hours that the café was open. He could not see why a high quality product that the consumer actually wanted to purchase could not be sold from a chilled machine. He commissioned a leading vending manufacturer to build a system that could dispense the range of products he selected. After two years development Feast Point was launched.

With so many people demanding hot drinks they can consume on the go, use Huhtamaki’s impressive product range to allow customers to benefit from the premium quality they find out of their office, without having to leave the building!

With consumers becoming more ethically aware, companies are keen to show their workforce that they are acting responsibly. Managers in charge of office facilities are rapidly adopting the trend towards a more ethical approach to business and, in that context, are increasingly switching to Fairtrade hot beverages. Corporate Social Responsibility managers play an educational role when they flag up the principles of Fairtrade to employees and contribute to people switching to ethical products both in and out of the workplace.

One company in particular has made a green road culture commitment and according to their Chairman Peter Best: “We are passionate about supplying environmentally friendly products and have a drive to save our own energy costs by 20% this year. Our staff have embraced the drive to implement this too. I am certain the industry is doing its best to exceed the requirements of regional and national environmental legislation and as suppliers we will be keeping the pressure on.”

Five star hotels were originally the home of tabletop machines, but with more and more people on the move and under pressure, they soon began popping up in offices, coffee shops, bars, shops and waiting areas across the country.

Size (mm): 850H (including ingredient hopper) x 550W x 585D
Colours: Platinum Silver
Selections: 12 configurable single choice buttons

Size: 925 x 300 x 510mm
Colours: Stainless steel with matching red trim
Capacity: 6 litres
Selections: Coffee only
Suitability: Hotels, banqueting, conferences.

Size: 432mmH x 252mmW x 517mmD
Weight (Empty): 10.5kg
Power Consumption: 1550W
Heating Mode; 4.2W Standby (not heating)

At only 450mm wide (17.75”), Eurocup’s Capresso 250 is the smallest fully automatic In-Cup drinks machine available in Europe.
The Capresso 250 features Electronic Boiler Control for minimal power consumption, an extremely low carbon footprint.

Size: 660mmH x 455mmD x 165mmW. Weight: 19kg.
Selections: 8 premium drinks plus hot water - built-in menu including standard or large drinks. Cappuccino, Mocha, Café Latté, Chocomilk, Coffee White, Espresso, Coffee Black, Chocolate, Hot Water.

Size: 820 x 500 x 550mm
Capacity: Dependant upon configuration chosen.
Selections: Up to 12 - Coffee/Tea/ Sugar/Whitener/ Chocolate/ Soup.
Colours: Stainless steel/Black.
Suitability: Particularly suitable for offices.

The new Nescafé &GO is the must-have accessory for caterers looking to cash in on the growing demand for coffee on the go.
Based on the successful Nescafé.go system, the hot drinks dispenser has enjoyed a stylish makeover giving it a more contemporary look - with larger 12 oz branded cups and an improved range of drinks to ensure maximum appeal and greater profit potential.

Size: 650/840H x 410W x 490mmD - Weight 38Kg
Capacity: Automatic hopper system with 140 capsules
Layout: Espresso in capsule, 3 soluble beverages, hot water
User interface: 8 selections

Size: 391H x 327W x 473mmD - Weight: 10.5Kg
Capacity: Up to 25 capsules; water tank 4000cc
Stand: Colibrì is to be mounted on a provided equipped cabinet
Power Supply: 230V 50Hz; nominal power 1700W

Size: 360H x 235W x 310mmD - Weight 12.5Kg
Capacity: Water tank 3000cc
Material: Steel
Power Supply: 230V 50Hz; nominal power 950W

Size: 820H x 320W x 560D
Colour: Silver
Selections: Up to 8 selections of true espresso based drinks
Capacity: A heavy duty grinder and a large capacity (2 kilo) bean hopper plus two soluble canisters

Size 300: 680H x 295W x 487mmD
Size 400: 680H x 680W x 487mmD
Colour: Silver
Selections 300: Up to 9 drink selections
Selections 400: Up to 12 drink selections

Size: 755H x 410W x 580D
Colour: Silver door with either stainless steel or black painted metal cabinet
Selections: Between 8 and 14
Versions: Vega 3 - Beans plus 2 instant products offering 8 selections.

Size: 756H x 544W x 597mmD
Colours: Various
Selections: Up to 12 drink selections
Versions: Instant, double freshbrew and bean to cup.
Optional Extras: Base cabinet

There has never been such an exciting time for people who would like to reduce or cut out dairy products. Family run, award winning business Bute Island Foods, based at the stunning Scottish Island is delighted to announce their brand new innovative and tasty additions to their dairy free cheese and dairy free cream cheese - Sheese & Creamy Sheese.

EAO, the Expert for Human Machine Interfaces, manufactures a range of high-quality Emergencystop switches that can be relied on in panic situations.

The John Guest design team have developed a new innovative valve to make the installation of water filtration equipment, water coolers and vending machines much quicker and easier.

Drinkmaster, leading sealed hot drinks specialist, has created a new product which extends its position as an expert supplier of drinks to smaller businesses and multi-site operations.