From Avon to Aberdeen, County Durham to Cardiff, snap happy runners-up of Nescafé’s Gold Coast promotion are putting their prize cameras to good use. Created to support operators and end users, as well as drive sales of Nescafé Gold Blend, the promotion has run successfully across the vending sector since March of this year, generating a wave of interest as consumers joined the gold rush to win the holiday of a lifetime.

The recently set up Hellenic Vending Association HeVA has joined the European Vending Association. George Makridimitris, Chairman of the Greek Vending Association, HeVA said: “We appreciate the contributions and accomplishments of EVA in the European Vending Business.

Caffè Culture has announced that it is to grow by a further 35% in 2008 following the huge success of the 2007 event, which saw over 175 exhibitors and 4,377 visitors in attendance, and its recent win of the Association of Exhibition Organiser’s ‘Best Launch Trade Show’.

Specialist soft drinks manufacturer, Metro Drinks has returned from exhibiting at Anuga with a prestigious Anuga Taste 07 Award for its Herbert’s Iced Coffee. The company was one of only two British products to win the accolade, the other winner being the Covent Garden Soup Company.

The October edition of VI included an advertorial from Yazoo (page 13) which stated that Yazoo is the only flavoured milk drink currently meeting proposed government guidelines.

Consultant Services Group (CSG) Food and Beverage Services Division has beefed up its vending services team in West Yorkshire with the appointment of Doreen Lister.

After 18 years in the vending industry, most recently, establishing and running the UK office of the rheavendors group in the UK, it has been announced that Richard Blevins is to retire at the end of 2007. handing over to another long serving member of the UK vending industry, Dick Boba.

Greencare H20 has succeeded in winning a contract to supply mains-fed water coolers to property outsourcing leader Mapeley. The contract is for the provision of approximately 1500 mains-fed water coolers to sites within Mapeley’s property portfolio. By replacing bottled water coolers with mains-fed units, Mapeley will substantially reduce costs, the emissions caused by bottled water deliveries, and plastic bottles contributing to landfill.

California Raisins teamed up with the Bakers’ Benevolent Society to search for a budding artist in the baking industry to create the Society’s charity Christmas card. Entrants were invited to design a card, which incorporated a traditional baking theme.

Coca-Cola’s parent board endorses local management decision to close concentrate plant in Drogheda, Ireland, with loss of 250-350 jobs.

Britvic updates and renames its pressed and squeezed juice offerings to increase their appeal in UK on-trade channel.

The number of traditional vending machines in operation in the UK continues to grow, reports the latest edition of the annual AVA Census. This growth of some 4,000 units (1.7%) at the end of 2006 has come from table top machines, dominated by fresh brew.

Lavazza has launched its iconic photographic calendar and pan European advertising campaign. Photographed by renowned Scottish photographer Finlay MacKay, the 2008 Lavazza calendar depicts ‘The Most Majestic Espresso Experience’.

Abbeychart has expanded its rotary vane pump refurbishment services, with a choice of standard or express service and the availability of a do-it-yourself repair kit.

National contract caterer, 7 Day Catering, have continued their success in the business services sector with a new contract with Capita Services Birmingham.

Following a successful tender, 7 Day Catering have been awarded the contract to supply a full hospitality provision including restaurant, menu planning, supply, operations and vended service.

Coffee systems specialist, Springbank has strengthened its office sector expertise with a lucrative contract to supply NextiraOne, Europe’s leading experts in communications services.

Due to continued growth, Manchester Vending Services have moved to new premises. The full contact details are: John Broderick, Managing Director, Manchester Vending Services Ltd, No1 Alpha Point, Bradnor Road, Sharston, Manchester, M22 4TE.

In the first of a series of in-depth studies of companies within the industry VI visits cash handling specialists Cummins-Allison Ltd, to learn more about the company behind the machines - its ethics and how it works to provide you with a first class service.

Seen at Eu’Vend, Deutsche Wurlitzer presented their range of vending solutions - and they have an interesting selection. The glass-fronted spiral machines are well made with high gauge metal cabinets and extensive use of stainless steel. These machines seem to be built to a quality standard and not just the lowest price possible.

Like it or lump no smoking in enclosed public places is here to stay. Should the vending industry be worried? Yes, particularly for a minority of companies who focus solely on cigarettes as their only product. Comments about the state of the industry vary from the upbeat to the terminal.

Rollover, the leading hot dog company in the UK foodservice industry, is currently investing in a major marketing campaign including a full re-branding exercise. The new branding and logo are appearing all over the country wherever Rollover hot dogs are sold. That includes 64 out of 92 Premier and Football League Clubs. VI spoke to Sales & Marketing Director Tony Owen (previously regional director of Nestle Foodservices) about Rollover’s determination to strengthen their already powerful position as the leading brand and the innovator in the market.

Sugar free chewing gum and mints provide vending operators with a healthy and incremental sales opportunity, whilst satisfying a consumer need for products that provide mouth freshening and oral healthcare benefits after eating and drinking.

United Biscuits UK (UBUK), a leading manufacturer of biscuits and snacks, is pleased to announce the return of McCoy's Jackets. McCoy's Jackets, a limited edition range, was initially launched in March of this year and is back by popular demand and available to retailers now. Available in three different jacket potato filling flavours, McCoy’s Jackets has its skin left on for an unbeatable crunch.

Consumer interest in healthy snack alternatives is increasing, occasions for healthy snacking are also on the up and according to Datamonitor’s Healthy Snacking report August 2007, 60.6 % of us have sought to improve the healthiness of our snacking in the last year. It’s no surprise then that in response to our changing lifestyle vending operators are now offering a whole host of healthy nibbles and drinks allowing us even more opportunities for guilt free grazing.

Today’s consumers have never been more aware of what is good for them. Fruit, vegetables, plenty of water, avoiding hydrogenated fats and limiting your calorific intake all add up to a healthy diet. This is impacting vending as health-conscious customers look at the beverages and foods available in the machine.

Lavazza OCS/Vending division, headed up by Silvio Zaccareo Sales & Marketing Manager, is continuing to offer a first class coffee experience to meet the needs of different markets (Office Coffee Service and Vending).

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

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 with an extremely low carbon footprint. All Capresso machines come with a 3 year parts warranty and free conversion training.

NRI has introduced the completely new “Currenza” product range. In particular, the new c2 changer brings a whole new range of features and benefits.

Castus is known for its fruit bars, which are very popular with children as a lunch box and healthy snack item. A completely new bar - FRUIT BITE - has been launched in the UK at LIW in Birmingham.

A new concept in the provision of pure fresh drinking water in homes and offices, the Tana Water T-6 is a small and compact, self programmable water dispenser which is different from anything you have ever seen before.

It’s a great tasting, refreshing cola, made from Fairtrade sugar from Malawi and Zambia. With sales of Fairtrade products growing by over 46% year on year, the team at Ubuntu felt that there was no better time to launch a Fairtrade cola.

Our leading technological innovations offer a great selling point to win more customers. Is it any wonder we are Europe’s leading watercooler manufacturer?

EAO, the expert for Human Machine Interfaces, sets new standards for ergonomic switch design with its range of large-headed pushbutton. The pushbuttons address the hazards associated with an industrial task, enabling operators to work in easier and safer conditions.

Deltrol Controls released its new DSVP15 water dispense valve that is designed to control low pressure (0-60 mbar) water from a tank. Typical applications include hot and cold beverage dispensers.

Apuro’s ACIS 800 Series of Direct Chill units offers a continuous supply of chilled, filtered mains water by using a refrigerated coil to chill incoming water directly instead of chilling water held in a reservoir tank.

Ideal for all ‘grab and go’ vending opportunities the Müller® One A Day™ range of yogurts and yogurt drinks, which were launched this summer, each contain one fruit portion in each serving offering a convenient ‘route to fruit™’ for the 86% of consumers who are failing to hit the recommended 5-a-day intake of fruit and vegetables.

New from Metrologic, the IS4910 is a powerful and versatile image scanner built to capture 1D, 2D, OCR and images of barcodes and documents.

Julian Graves’ ‘A bit of what you fancy!’ is a unique range of healthy and savoury food products in 12 different varieties.

Catering for the public’s growing appetite for healthier snacks, the range includes dried fruit, nuts, seeds, confectionery, oriental mixes and savoury mixes.

The new Norit H2OK range is a complete line of high performance purifiers, filters, conditioners, softeners and sanitizers for the cooler, vending and food services industry.

“First class in every way” is how its latest customer sums up Packaging Automation Ltd’s equipment and service. Packaging Automation has supplied a Starwheel machine to The Vending Revolution, the UK’s leading and largest bulk and mini-can vending business.

The new Kenco FreshSeal Hot Drinks station is a fantastic total solution to serving hot drinks on-the-go. It is simple to operate and works in conjunction with the award winning* Kenco FreshSeal range, making it simple to serve great quality branded hot drinks, even in the most operationally challenged environments.

The RPC Tedeco-Gizeh name is synonymous with the devising and supplying of high-quality, convenient, aesthetically stylish and cost-effective solutions for vending, catering, cash & carry, dairy packaging, portion packs and functional foods.

Market leading drinks systems provider KLIX® significantly extended its drinks portfolio this year with the launch of five fantastic new drinks.

Envirosource UK Ltd have been selected as a winner of the coveted Green Apple Award for environmentally friendly products! The company supplies water machines for offices and the home that require no bottles or any plumbed in mains water supply.

The new Nuert Mini-Pump introduced by Abbeychart is a very compact and quiet and highly reliable unit ideal for use where space limitations prevent the installation of standard pumps and a lower flow rate is required.