NEWS | Industry Updates
Innovative UK candy floss vending machine business tastes success after securing 30 sites in 12 months
Customers tap on the machine’s touch
screen, select a candy floss, then watch it being made – taking just 90 seconds from start to finish. Panda Fluff was founded by
entrepreneur, Kelly Poon, in 2023, when her daughter asked for a special after-school treat. She wanted candy floss but Kelly didn’t want to settle for something in a packet. She wanted to get her the real deal. Proper candy floss on a stick. “That’s when I fell down the rabbit hole
of candy floss and vending machines,” laughs Kelly. “After lots of research, I found a factory and worked closely with them to design the machine capability and branding that I wanted.” With a natural eye for design, following a
career in the fashion industry, Kelly created the unique, colourful Panda Fluff brand and set about securing sites for the candy floss machines. “The first Panda Fluff machine went to St.
Panda Fluff has secured 30 sites across the UK and Europe in 12 months making it the UK’s fastest growing candy floss vending machine business. Panda Fluff machines can now be found at Haven Holidays, Moto Services, and numerous theme parks and destination shopping centres. The high-tech, brightly coloured machines are capable of producing 130 different styles of candy floss, from heart shaped designs to floral patterns. There are six natural fruit flavours to choose from, including strawberry, melon, vanilla, and blueberry, plus two types of toppings.
Enoch, a beautiful big destination shopping centre in the heart of Glasgow City Centre,” explains Kelly. “It was so exciting to find a home for that first one, and to see the hard work paying off. Interest increased very quickly from there.” Kelly believes there are several reasons
that Panda Fluff has gone down so well with businesses in the UK. “It is still relatively unusual to see a
candy floss machine – despite the fact that the British vending machine market is expanding rapidly, across the board. So, that definitely piques the interest of
business customers. The opportunity to have something unique,” says Kelly. “The Panda Fluff machines are also very
easy to maintain and they’re reliable – plus, we have support staff on the ground in the UK, should customers need anything. That’s not always the case with some of the vending machine providers.” “The quality of the candy floss product
is also something that is mentioned a lot,” she adds. “The candy floss contains filtered water and natural sugars – nothing else - and we use 100% biodegradable sticks, so businesses can feel good about what they’re providing to customers and their families.” As well as continuing to grow Panda
Fluff across the UK and Europe, one of Kelly’s ambitions is to demonstrate to her daughters and other girls and women that owning and running a business is possible. “One of my proudest moments has been
one of my daughters telling her teacher that she wants to be a ‘candy floss boss’ like mum when she’s older.” “In the last few years, I have made the
move from fashion to being a mother and working part time, to now having a full-time established business, which is expanding by the day. I would love to use my experience developing Panda Fluff to inspire other women, and my children, to show them what is possible. That’s my dream.” The Panda Fluff business model is a
mixture of franchisees, machine sales and machines owned and serviced by Panda Fluff. The business is headquartered in Ruislip, west London.
Rhea puts on coffee cocktail shows at Milan Linate airport
Coffee cocktail shows organised by Rhea at the Leonardo VIP lounge at Milan Linate Airport showcased a collaboration between Rhea and SEA. This partnership was created to elevate the coffee break experience for passengers in transit, transforming it into a moment of genuine sensory indulgence with gourmet coffee- based drinks and more. Passengers took the opportunity to sample a range of gourmet coffee drinks, crafted through the combination of Rhea machines and the creativity of the barista. The aim was to turn the experience from a simple coffee break into a moment of true pleasure. Rhea said the positive feedback reflected the public’s growing interest in
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solutions that integrate innovation, quality, and creativity around the coffee break. “We thank SEA and Areas for giving us
the opportunity to host these special events in the Leonardo lounge at Linate. For us, these cocktail shows were particularly rewarding, allowing us to witness firsthand the public’s interest in our innovative offerings. Passengers were curious and captivated by the quality and variety of the drinks. The coffee creations stood out not only for their refined taste but also for the interactive experience provided by Rhea’s machines,’ said Andrea Pozzolini, chief executive of Rhea. All drinks were expertly prepared using Rhea’s rhTT1 coffee machines and fresh milk.
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