Leading UK beverage machine manufacturer Westomatic Vending Services has hit the ground running in 2009 with an innovative series of customer roadshows.

Aimia Foods, independent supplier of hot and cold beverages, has expanded its vending offer with the introduction of Freshers Granulated Hot Chocolate.

Something new for visitors to AVEX 2009!  They will receive a unique cheque book of special offers from exhibitors, being produced by Vending International. The cheques (which will not bounce - important in the current economic climate!) are sponsored by exhibitors who recognise the opportunity to offer an incentive (small or, perhaps, large) to visitors to drop in on their stands during the show.

Cadbury has just launched Bassetts Red Liquorice Allsorts, which will include the introduction of a new character on-pack, called Betty.

Capita was fed up with the lack of face-to-face contact it had with the suppliers of its coffee vending machines, which were felt to be bulky and energy inefficient. Seymour Valentine, an experienced, privately-owned vending sale and after-sales service company, was appointed to improve the service.

Building on its range of kiosk printers, DED has introduced the Star Micronics TUP500 - based on the tried and tested TUP900 model, known worldwide for providing effective printing solutions in a host of applications. The new TUP500 brings new features along with versatility to the kiosk printing marketplace.

Operators are set to enjoy a boost to their sales with the launch of the latest McCoy's limited edition variant, McCoy's Twisted, from United Biscuits. This takes classic McCoy's flavours and adds a twist of chilli, and includes a Salt & Malt Vinegar with Chilli 50g handy pack and a multipack of three packs of Salt & Malt Vinegar with Chilli and three packs of Cheddar & Onion with Jalapeno.

Visitors to Ramada Jarvis hotels across the UK can now enjoy great tasting refreshments from Mars Drinks at any time of day. This forms part of a three-year extension agreement between Mars Drinks and Ramada Jarvis for Flavia machines across the hotel group's UK sites.

Gatorade, the world's most researched sports drink, is to help consumers Gear Up for 2009 with £1000 of sports kit to give away every day in a new on-pack promotion, designed to tap into consumers' fitness resolutions in 2009 and to drive trial of Gatorade around this market opportunity.

Bunzl Coffee Point has retained its business with law firm Dickinson Dees following a hard-fought tender process. The new deal will see the installation of 22 top-of-the-range vending machines in the company's premises in Newcastle and the Tees Valley.

Wall's is introducing a new range of savoury pastries. With its reputation for quality ingredients and traditional recipes already established among its loyal consumer base, the extension into pastries and pies is a natural progression.

Eating smart is all about being clued-up to make better choices available to you. Calorie-counting can become tedious, says Powerfruits, and often when you feel like you're depriving yourself of your favourite snack, you want it even more. How­ever, you don't need to worry about feeding cravings or feeling deprived again if you substitute your usual ‘sweet' or ‘calorific' snack for a tasty Powerfruit Fruit Supplement Bar.

Bottled water supplier Liquidcool has launched the UK's first mint-flavoured waters, containing no calories, and no added sugar, sweeteners or preservatives.

EAO has extended its range of robust keypads with the new S.series Lite - the first plastic keypad to look identical to a metal one.

Alistair Price, Managing Director of WPS, which he describes as the only sales agency specifically focused on the vending and coffee service sectors, is insisting that, although people are cutting back in 2009, consumers will still need food and drink.

It was 40 years ago this year that Keith and Maureen Midgley decided to leave their management positions and ‘go it alone', establishing the West Yorkshire based Consultant Services Group.

Qualitasse, the coffee equipment and supplies specialist, is now a distributor for Sanyo's new Automatic Espresso coffee equipment, which offers a range of speciality coffees, where each drink is freshly ground from coffee beans and then brewed.

Bunzl Coffee Point has announced two additional members to its northern sales team to further strengthen its service commitments by ensuring clients receive local support with immediate response.

VMC, a UK leader in the field of cashless payment systems, has appointed Jim Wilkinson to the role of Sales Manager.

The Automatic Vending Association has announced its first two new members for 2009.

A good deal has been said about NIVEX, the new breed of UK vending exhibition, while far less is heard about the organisation behind it, NIVO - which, incidentally, comes of age this year.

Fast worker, Bertie! Just at a time when there seems to be little or no light at the end of the tunnel, gloom-wise, comes the news from Cadbury that Bertie Bassett, the face of Bassett's Liquorice Allsorts, has tied the knot at the Bassett's Factory in Sheffield. His bride, Betty, sprung onto the celebrity scene after being identified as his new sweetheart.

It's not new and it's not rocket science. Coffee machines, whether they be the traditional floor-standing variety or the latest super-trendy table-top examples, stand or fall on the quality of the beverages they produce. Choice is great, but quality rules!

It's no surprise that quality and consistency have never been more important in the provision of a satisfying and successful vended coffee service.

Lavazza, frequently described as Italy's favourite coffee, has launched two new additions to its sustainable coffee blend ¡Tierra! - a blend of coffee derived from selected communities in South America. All the communities involved participate in the ¡Tierra! Project which is funded and managed by Lavazza.

When it comes to creating a good vended cup of coffee, the value of using quality ingredients which consumers trust and want, speaks for itself. It's all about taste, consistency and flavour and delivering an enjoyable experience with every sip.

Vending has always suffered from a number of common perceptions - that the quality and taste of the drinks is not up to standard; that the plastic cups feel cheap and are too small; that the machines are ugly and un­in­viting. This reputation is not wholly unjustified, as there remains a number of suppliers and operators who believe that vending is fated to fill a niche for low cost drinks of inferior quality to their non-vended counterparts. Aimia wants to shake off all these negative con­notations and prove that quality in vended hot drinks is achievable, and higher vend prices are the reward for adding value.

As a table-top system that's compatible with the expectations of the most discerning coffee drinker, N&W's new Fresh Brew 7100 bean-to-cup machine is a useful addition to what is currently the best performing sector of the vending market.

Bravilor's portfolio of fresh brew machines includes the FreshGround which is available in two models - the FreshGround 310 and FreshGround XL 510. Both are capable of producing top quality bean-to-cup filter coffee and a wide range of instant beverages, making them among the most versatile machines on the market. Both are available with a coin mechanism.

At Westomatic, vending technology has developed apace in recent months, to produce coffee that can rival the best high street chains. Westomatic's Marketing Manager, Mark Rhodes, says: "Using high quality ingredients alone is not enough to produce coffee shop standard drinks. Choosing the right equipment is critical to getting the best out of your ingredients."

Most people agree that coffee is the most important hot beverage on the vending menu. But, especially when money is tight, it's important to make sure you tick all the boxes for your consumers.

The company works on several platforms to guarantee the sustainability of the coffee it buys. For example, Nestlé operates the world's largest direct purchasing scheme, which allows farmers to deliver coffee directly to its buying stations and so keep more of their income. It is also committed to the Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C) global code of conduct which brings sustainability into the mainstream supply chain.

"Liverpool Hope University has a Christian foundation and is uniquely placed to spearhead the introduction of Fairtrade products across Higher Education. In conjunction with the Students' Union, we are committed to supporting and promoting ethical trade and together we have worked hard to secure Fairtrade status, which we received in 2007. Now, we are in a position to offer our students, staff and guests a significant range of Fairtrade food and beverage products.

Through innovation and superior coin security NRI has grown to be a leading figure in the payment solutions market. Last year the German-based manufacturer launched its innovative vending product line - coin changer, cashless payment systems and bill validators - which fall under the Currenza umbrella.

AstroSystems, the European division of currency validation specialist Astrosys International , continues to make successful inroads with the GBA ST1 bank note validator - its modular architecture and secure cashbox design proving to be key talking points. The ability to dis-assemble the unit and then re-assemble it within 30 seconds is popular with service technicians, as is the ability to re-configure the unit from upstacker to downstacker operation simply by changing the front fascia.

Don't let the recession kill your business - that's the message from Safer Systems, a leading security specialist to the vending industry. While nobody, it seems, is immune to the devastating effects of this recession, we can make certain that businesses are prepared by ensuring they are operating at maximum efficiency. That means preventing them from haemorrhaging between five and eight per cent of operating profit - a staggering £120m* for the UK vending industry.

Jofemar UK, an arm of the Spanish vending machine manufacturer, has added new software to its BT10 banknote reader, which puts it among the most reliable bill readers available on the market.

MEI is the leading global manufacturer of unattended payment solutions with 40 years' experience in the vending sector.

The annual presentation to the trade by the Save a Cup Recycling Company took on a slightly different form this year when it was staged recently at the Institute of Chemical Industry, in London.

Those who attended the recent AVEX meeting for exhibitors heard a lot about the forthcoming event and enjoyed a packed programme of speakers - some sharing experiences, some offering advice and others giving an update on activities. The meeting was all about being proud of AVEX and how to get the best from it and there was a welcome buzz about the place.

This year, the European Vending Association celebrates its 15th birthday - the crystal anniversary of a marriage. Crystal is precious, crystal is clear and, so we trust, is the EVA for its members.  Of course, you never measure the value of anything until it's lost... so for the sake of argument, let us imagine what it would now be like if there were no EVA.

Last year the EVA had the opportunity to take a stand at the European Commission's Green Week and, as a result, welcomed many high-level European personalities.

The EVA is planning an important conference in October on ‘The Image of Vending', and is asking its  members to either send examples of how they are seeking to improve the image of vending, or films/pictures/advertising material that feature vending machines, either positively or negatively.

The European Vending Association has a new Head of Communication and Events, Ana Esteban.

A new energy rating system, which is a development of the EVA's Energy Measurement Protocol (EVA-EMP) is on its way to becoming an official European Standard.