Selecta, leading European vending services company which is reported to provide food and beverage services at over 100,000 points-of-sale and over four million drinks every day, has secured a contract to provide vending services at the Port of Dover, the UK's leading cross-channel ferry port - used by more than 14 million passengers, 2.8 million tourist cars, 105,000 coaches and 2.3 million lorries in 2006.

AVA operator members have voted overwhelming to maintain accreditation to the AVA Quality System as a mandatory requirement of AVA membership.

Trident has introduced the Seiko APU-9347 compact, high-speed digital thermal printer with a small footprint and plug-and-play installation, presenting an ideal solution for integrating into existing hardware such as vending machines and kiosk terminals.

The AVA has announced that the stand ballot for AVEX 2009 is to be held in the Toute Suite at the NEC, Birmingham on Monday 9th June 2008. It will be open to AVA members as well as members of EPDWA, the AVEX partner association.

Loyd Grossman, renowned for the cook-in sauces that offer exceptional quality and taste, has teamed up with Sun Valley to develop an indulgent and mouth-watering range of nut mixes, each range offering the same quality and taste that Loyd is known for.

Vending machine companies tracking temperature or humidity conditions affecting inventory and sales can now have the convenience of both real-time data and the ability to download it for further analysis.

The world's number one biscuit*, Oreo, a chocolate-flavoured sandwich biscuit has been launched into the UK away from home market by Kraft Foods.

Jason Stowe, new Director of Sales at GWD Media, brings over 15 years' experience within fast moving and challenging environments, including the mobile data sector.

Lock specialists Camlock Systems has launched an all-new website, which has the entire content available in French, German, Italian, Spanish and English.

Crane Merchandising Systems' market-leading Evolution hot beverage machine has been given a make-over, with the introduction of stylish silver door mouldings and impactful new abstract graphics.

The Automatic Vending Association has launched a clean and fresh website which promotes to specifiers the benefits of trading with an AVA quality-assured member, as well as providing a directory of members (complete with links to their own websites), and a quick contact list for easy email contacts with member companies.

Capri-Sun, the popular lunchbox juice, has launched an innovative new product that can be stocked in English schools due to its ‘all natural' formulation, based on 75 per cent juice and 25 per cent water. Available from this month, Capri-Sun Fruit Rush comes in two refreshing flavours: Orchard Fruits and Tropical Fruits.

Nescafé coffee, one of the most famous brands in the world - and certainly in vending - has celebrated its 70th birthday. To celebrate this platinum anniversary, Nescafé is running a double points promotion on Foodservice Reward codes redeemed against Nescafé Original from 14th-21st May.

With mechanism, interface board and paper holder all in one compact unit, the new Axiohm Asteron panel mount printer has been designed with instant integration in mind. Developed for control, test and measurement as well as analysis and diagnosis applications, the Asteron delivers a print speed of 50 mm per second onto a 58mm wide paper roll.

Norfolk-based S & J Vending UK, the rapidly growing privately-owned vending operator, has entered into an agreement with Konect Distribution, manufacturer of Mini Meaty Munchies - delicious, new salami snacks which are already a hit with vending operators in France, Germany, Holland and Switzerland.

Abbeychart is celebrating 15 years of successfully marketing its Mignon pressure reducing valve, having sold tens of thousands to date to the vending, soft drinks, water cooler and plumbing markets. The company says that this demonstrates how well the original design and engineering has performed against tough competition.

The Coal Authority, the organisation set up to regulate and licence British coalmines, has awarded 7 Day Catering the contract to manage the catering and hospitality services at its Mansfield headquarters. Provision of catering at the site, which has 100 staff, includes 'break-out' restaurant areas, kitchenettes and hospitality together with a supply of beverage machines.

EAO, the specialists in human machine Interfaces, has unveiled a new way to create a personalised keypad or keyboard that's impact-resistant, vandal-resistant, oil and waterproof.

International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges has chosen G2IS to bring cashless payments in to their London offices. Serving 250 staff, the on-site restaurant is run by Directors Table, a division of Sodexho, and is constantly in use throughout the working day. Speeding up transactions, reducing the cost of cash and tracking purchases are examples of the benefits the G2IS system bring to Weil, Gotshal & Manges.

Cashless technology specialist, VMC, has further enhanced its product portfolio by collaborating with interactive touch-screen ordering systems experts, Xpress Ordering.

While the skills gap across the UK may be impacting on a variety of industries, when it comes to training, the vending industry is leagues ahead. N & W Global Vending, for example, recently welcomed its 7,000th trainee at its Bilston headquarters.

Despite the pressures, hospitality and catering businesses appear to be reacting bullishly to the credit crunch. When asked if they had to start their business again in today's economic climate, 67 per cent of hospitality and catering businesses would do it all again tomorrow!

Lavazza's ¡Tierra! has earned the sought-after 100% sustainable certification from the Rainforest Alliance and brings a guilt-free, high quality coffee pleasure to the working environment. The certification guarantees that the Lavazza Coffee capsules offer great quality in every cup whilst improving living conditions for communities of small coffee growers in Latin America.

Following the installation of six Kenco Sustainable Development Kbar machines at Family Investments Brighton, employees are really enjoying their new hot drinks services.

Come next month we will find ourselves just a year away from the next AVEX - a fact which has been suitably underlined by the recent announcement from the AVA that the date of the stand ballot for the show is to be Monday 9th June.

HOT BEVERAGE MACHINE

Size: 1830 x 600 x 625mm

Colour: Black

COMBI MACHINE

Size: 1830 x 888 x 875 (Palma M87)

Colours: Black, silver

CANS, CARTONS & BOTTLES

Size: 1830 x 980 x 901mm (Palma B6G)

Colours: Black, silver, white

CANS, CARTONS & BOTTLES

Size: 1830 x 1030 x 890mm (Mistral B85)

Colours: Silver, Black

SNACKS & CONFECTIONERY

Size: 1830 x 888 x 875 (Palma H87)

Colours: Black, silver, white

TABLE TOP BEVERAGE MACHINE

Size: 740 x 480 x 560mm

Colour: Black

SPIRAL-FREE MULTI PRODUCT MACHINE

Size: 1830 x 803 x 935

Capacity: Varies by products to be vended

HOT FOOD VENDOR

Size: 1830 x 960 x 850

Capacity: Varies by products to be vended

Free standing beverage machine

Size: H 1830mm x W 660mm x D 740mm

Capacity: 600 x 7oz squat

FREE STANDING BEVERAGE MACHINES

Size: H 1830mm x W 698mm x D 678mm

Capacity: 550 x 7oz squat

TABLE TOP BEVERAGE MACHINE

Size: H 756mm x W 544m x D 597mm

Capacity: 230 x 7oz squat

Cold drinks (bottles & cans)

Size: H 1830mm x D 813mm x W 1181mm

Capacity: up to 495 products

Snack & Confectionery machines

Size: H 1830mm x W 812mm x D 724mm (Focus 32)

H 1830mm x W 968mm x D 724mm (Focus 40)

Capacity: 32 selections: 144 snack, 192 confectionery items

Food machines

Size: H 1830mm x W 968mm x D 782mm

Capacity: Max. 225 items, min. 45 items

Combination machines (Snack & Confectionery bottles and cans)

Size: H 1830mm x W 968mm x D 1010mm

Capacity: 90 snack items, 126 confectionery items and 96 bottles or 45 snack items, 126 confectionery items, 30 food items and 96 bottles

TABLE TOP BEVERAGE MACHINE

Size 300: H 680mm x W 295mm x D 487mm

Size 400: H 680mm x W 380mm x D 487mm

FROZEN FOOD

Size: H 1830mm x W 652mm x D 845mm

Capacity: Min. 130 - Max. 368

FILTER COFFEE BREWER WITH REMOVABLE URN

Size: 925 x 300 x 510mm

Capacity: 6 litres full brew; 3 litres half brew

ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY WATER BOILERS

Range: 6 models: 5 & 10 litre capacity push-button freeflow dispense and 5, 10, 20 and 30 litre capacity tap operated

Size: From 350 x 210 x 465mm (T5 tap model)

BULK FILTER COFFEE-BREWER

Range: Rear delivery self-service option available on Qwikbrew single urn, Qwikbrew Twin and Maxibrew models

Size: 490 x 362 x 760mm (Qwikbrew single urn)

HOT FOOD VENDOR

Size: 1277 x 1027 x 1936

Colours: Black cabinet plus illuminated picture display

CANS & BOTTLES

Size: 1830 x 750 x 880mm

Capacity: Dependent upon configuration chosen

TABLETOP

Size: 820 x 500 x 550mm

Capacity: Dependent upon configuration chosen

Size: 1830 x 826 x 813mm

Capacity: Up to 330 products

Selections: 30

Size: 1830 x 1181 x 813mm

Capacity: Up to 495 products

Selections: 45

Size: 1830 x 945 x 910mm

Capacity: Up to 450 ice cream or frozen products

Selections: various depending on configuration

Size: 1830 x 895 x 830 mm

Capacity: Total 320 items depending on configuration: Confectionery 120 items, Snack 56 items, Bottles 48 items, Cans/Bottles/Cartons 96 items

Selections: 40 subject to configuration

Bean-to-cup coffee in vending is still regarded by many as ‘new', where in reality it was being spoken about - and even actioned by the brave few - more than four years ago. Driven then, as now, by the bourgeoning coffee culture, both in the high street and the home, the take-up of the bean-to-cup philosophy was rather slow in vending, and remains so in some quarters.

The UK's coffee boom has seen an explosion of chains open across the country and is mooted to be worth £1bn-a-year. But it's not just the chains that are picking up on the coffee sensation, leisure centres, offices, and industry alike also want a piece of the action, driving the rise in bean-to-cup vending.

Aimia Foods is the exclusive supplier of Douwe Egberts and Percol Fairtrade premium coffees for the vending market in the UK. Both brands are available in the following variants for vending machines:

AVS Supplier of the Year - Westomatic Vending Services - promises to ‘eliminate the need to compromise to choice' with the Prelude bean-to-cup table-top machine, which features Westomatic's new, simple gravity-fed paperless brewer that produces a punchy bean-to-cup coffee and the perfect cup of freshly brewed leaf tea.

"Over the last 15 years the coffee market has been revolutionised", said Elaine Higginson, Managing Director of First Choice Coffee. "From plain filter coffee to high quality espresso drinks, consumer tastes and expectations have evolved and the coffee market has moved forward to accommodate this growth. Every customer deserves a top quality cup of coffee and the fact that they may not be in a coffee shop or restaurant environment shouldn't limit their options, which is why we've incorporated a self-service facility into our award-winning, bean-to-cup Tiger machine."

Sielaff, the leading German manufacturer of quality hot beverage vendors and glass-fronted merchandisers, has improved its Sielissimo CVT bean-to-cup tabletop coffee and hot beverage machine with the option of a pot facility, which makes it ideal for high volume locations. The Sielissimo range comprises three tabletop versions, the CVT, the CIT with instant ingredients and the CFT fresh brew model. Each is now available in a high volume version in models marked with the -XL suffix. In common with the other two variants in the range, the new bean-to-cup model, CVT-XL incorporates advanced technology developed by Sielaff itself and already tried and tested in the market.

The Coffeemar G-500, manufactured in northern Spain by Jofemar and distributed in Britain by Jofemar UK, offers bean-to-cup fresh brew coffee together with a selection of soluble ingredients, or may be specified as instant-only.

Sielaff has also announced the launch of the Barista Uno, a stylish, fully automatic, purpose-built self-service coffee bar, which is perfect for self-serve takeaway locations.

According to the 2008 Britvic Soft Drinks Report, the overall value of the soft drinks sector last year grew by 2.4 per cent to £8.5 billion, despite the worst summer on record. The health and well-being category emerged as an important trend.

To address the ongoing dilemma of sugary drinks being tops with school children, Abbey Well, a brand-leading supplier of natural mineral water in foodservice, has developed two healthy drinks specifically for school vending and over the counter sales.

Vending soft drinks means high margins and a substantial revenue stream for both soft drinks manufacturers and vending machine operators throughout the UK.

New drink Sports Oxyshot is said to represent a breakthrough in oxygen delivery. It is a pH balanced liquid electrolyte solution, manufactured using natural ingredients and proprietary technology derived from NASA based research, that helps the body absorb and utilise more oxygen while reducing the carbon dioxide and lactic acid levels in the blood.

PepsiCo and Britvic Soft Drinks have announced a major roll-out in the UK of Gatorade, the world's best-selling and most scientifically researched sports drink. Representing a unique offering in the UK sports drink category, the new product is launched nationwide this month with a focus on impulse, leisure and grocery channels.

There is a growing trend within the UK towards healthy products, as recent research, conducted for Aimia, told us that 69 per cent* of consumers believe that health is more important than convenience when choosing their drink options.

Following the recent World Day for Water, which threw a spotlight on the struggle to provide clean water to people worldwide, a UK water cooler company is emphasising the need for greater water awareness in the UK - and, in particular, the importance to brainpower of providing effective hydration during business meetings.

Apuro is launching its ACIS range of water coolers into Europe. After successful sales into Spain, the company is focusing on expanding its export business in other EU countries and is actively seeking distributors. "We've successfully established the ACIS brand in the UK market," says European Sales Manager Nigel Elwick. "This is a natural progression for the range. The technology used in developing our latest models, notably the DC (direct chill) units, is helping us open up the continental market."

Although bottled water offers a healthy and convenient alternative to carbonates, growing consumer awareness of environmental and ethical issues means that vending machine operators need to be increasingly selective about the brands they offer.

When staff and students at the University of Sheffield wanted a vending machine stocked only with healthy and ethical drinks, they turned to Leeds-based operator Calvenda for help.

EcoPure Waters, claimed to be the UK's leading supplier of environmentally friendly water systems to the hospitality industry, has signed a service agreement with City Dispense Services, also a market leader in its field.

The Worldwide Vending Association (WVA) was formed in 2006 to provide and protect the interests of vending on a global basis. WVA now speaks on behalf of 24 countries representing 20,000 companies operating some 10 million vending machines. Specifically, the objectives of WVA as written in its Statutes are to carry out the following activities: