Hot Food Vending


A hot food revolution H


ot food vending machines provide equipment, storage and staffing all in the same convenient, economical package. It’s no wonder that they have been getting noteworthy media attention in recent months, adding to the debate and hype


surrounding the new generation of healthy and high quality vending that is now coming into its own. ‘Food futurologist’ Dr Morgaine Gaye spoke at the Leatherhead


Food Research’s Taste Trends Conference in December last year, predicting an increase in the popularity of innovative hot food vending solutions. “In France one baker, tired of people knocking on his door in the early hours wanting fresh baguettes, came up with the idea of a par-baked baguette vending machine, which finishes them off once people has put money in the machine, after which a freshly baked baguette is dispensed,” she said. From canteen replacement services to speciality food machines, there is plenty of scope for imagination in the hot food vending sphere. The benefits of hot food vending machines as replacements for


traditional canteens or cafeterias are manifest; a self-contained food outlet provides a cost effective way to feed employees on site. Fully automated, they eliminate the need for staffing, and many hot food


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Hot food vending machines are becoming an increasingly common sight as facilities and office managers recognise their numerous benefits. Bryony Andrews reports...


vending operators offer a full cleaning, maintenance and replenishing service. Labour costs are reduced and revenue is maximised, making hot food vending services ideal for business managers and owners operating under a budget. As well as reducing costs, hot food vending machines can offer


customers high quality, nutritious hot meals and snacks 24 hours a day - unlike a traditional canteen set up, which usually has at best limited service out of hours and often closes completely. This is particularly limiting for workplaces where employees routinely work anti-social hours and nights. Providing adequate sustenance, whether hot drinks or hot food, is essential to maintaining employee satisfaction and efficiency. Health and science expert Christopher Wanjek succinctly highlights


the advantages in ‘Food at Work’ (2004): “Serving wholesome food in vending machines is a convenience to workers. Vended meals are less expensive to serve than canteen meals because staff members need not be present. Meals can remain hot for hours for the employee to purchase at any time. This is particularly a great benefit for shift workers and night workers who work after hours when the canteen is closed. Enterprises which cannot afford a full canteen can indeed opt


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