Looking back at 2020 for Coinadrink Limited, the vending company. And looking forward with optimism for 2021.
There is no getting around the fact that 2020 was a tough year. The Coronavirus pandemic threatened to take both lives and livelihoods right from the very the start and was cruelly successful in doing so much of the time.
But we have always said that the one shining light through such a terrible ordeal was the love and support shown by so many of us. With the support of our customers and staff, Coinadrink battled through the pandemic with the purpose of assisting our customers and community as much as we could. And along with so many others in the industry, we strived to ensure that vending would keep on progressing as it has always done during the years gone by.
Before 2021 gets started for Coinadrink Limited, the vending company, we want to take you back through 2020 and everything that it entailed for us.
January 2020 – New Year, new you!
We have always stood by the belief that vending and workplace refreshments are a key tool to strengthen both wellbeing and productivity at work. And as businesses began to head into the new year, we felt it was a great opportunity to emphasise just that.
Our first blog post of the year detailed how 84% of staff from a survey believed high quality tea and coffee facilities were an important part of the workplace, whilst 56% stated that break-out zones are also a vital commodity. We also correctly anticipated that the Micro Market, managed by one of our specialist divisions Express Refreshments, would also take centre stage across the year, ideal for larger businesses in remote locations.
As we enter 2021, have you considered vending or the Micro Market as the simple and effective tool needed to improve workplace morale?
February 2020 – Healthier and more convenient choices take priority.
Those of you who are familiar with us will know that we also have our online store, Refreshment Shop, which supplies wholesale refreshments, equipment and supplies perfect for those looking to manage their own refreshments at work.
February 2020 saw us continue with the “New Year, New You!” message, by taking stock of healthier and more convenient refreshments that have since been a big hit. Flavia Infusions delivered a healthier cup of tea from your Flavia office coffee machine, whilst Lyons Coffee Bags provided freshly ground coffee in the convenience of a tea-like bag.
Such emphasis on conforming to consumer demand is something we have always done. Why not head to Refreshment Shop to try them for yourself?
March 2020 – Covid strikes. And Coinadrink is well prepared.
Nobody could have anticipated what happened next. But whilst other vending companies merely reacted to the news that was being forced on us all, Coinadrink Limited were already in a good place to manage the virus from our end with our exemplary hygiene standards and protocols.
The rest of the year would indeed see us adapt to the pandemic through customer and community support and the arrival of contactless equipment many of our customers had asked for, but we were quick to detail both our in-house sanitisation procedure and on-site sanitisation procedure for the peace of mind of our customers.
If you want more information on all the ways we set ourselves apart from the competition, head to our dedicated webpage.
March 2020 – The stylish and reliable Coti hot drinks machine joins our range.
Because we didn’t need to make wholesale changes to our hygiene standards, it meant we were in a good position to continue operating as best we could whilst rightly remaining cautious of what was continuing to develop in the world around us.
As one of the leading vending companies in the UK, we don’t tie ourselves down to any particular vending machine supplier and instead work with a variety to ensure we only add the best equipment to our range. The Coti floorstanding hot drinks machine features an 800-cup capacity and is one of the most reliable solutions on the market.
March 2020 – We help install another fresh milk vending machine!
Little over 12 months since we installed a fresh milk vending machine at a farm in Shropshire, March 2020 saw us do the same in the Telford and Wrekin Council offices.
Fresh milk from the nearby Taylor’s Farm was extremely popular with staff at the council, but one problem was soon identified. The milk was being enjoyed from single-use plastic milk bottles and the council saw that there was around 150 of them filling the fridges every single week. This of course increased the likelihood of waste.
Seeing the success of our recent project, they approached us for assistance. Through the flexibility of the Shopper 2 fresh food vending machine, Coinadrink was able to adapt the machine to store and dispense glass bottles, helping the council with their long-term sustainability goals.
Read all about it here.
April 2020 – Showing our appreciation to our hard working NHS.
It had now been over a month since the Coronavirus took hold on British shores, and March and April proved to be some of the toughest periods for our NHS as cases rapidly rose. Early on in the pandemic, we intended to show our gratitude to such an incredible organisation and that’s exactly what we did.
Through valuable contacts, we were put in touch with the Well Wishers charity that are located within our local Walsall Manor Hospital. It was through Well Wishers that we donated six tabletop office coffee machines and a whole host of supplies including cold drinks and biscuits to their ICU and high dependency wards, just so staff could enjoy a hard-earned break when they found the time.
And we would show similar support later on in the year.
April 2020 – The Media 2 touchscreen interface arrives.
The Merchant snack vending machine and the BevMax cold drinks machine have always been popular vending machines. And with the arrival of the Media 2 touchscreen user interface to round off an impressive update in April 2020, they became even more stylish and even more capable.
The Media 2 user interface invites the user into a touchscreen that houses an impressive array of features, including a handy shopping cart function that allows you to select and pay for a variety of products in one session. Suggested selling predicts what you may like next and it will also inform you of calorie and nutritional information.
It was an innovative arrival that in many ways set the trend for the future of vending.
April 2020 – Say hello to a stunning collection of office coffee machines.
The arrivals kept on coming, with the Krea Prime, Korinto Prime and Koro Prime Espresso coffee machines respectively. All crafted from the same vending machine supplier, the trio delivered coffee shop quality from stunning designs.
They were primarily aimed at the HORECA market, which includes cafes, restaurants, bars and hotels, though wouldn’t look out of place in offices and showrooms. All three delivered fresh bean coffee from stylish and easy to use interfaces that have been a big hit with customers.
Check out our tabletop office coffee machine range.
May 2020 – Introducing contactless water coolers with Sip Neo 3 technology.
The first of our exciting contactless vending machines and water coolers, May 2020 saw us introduce two hygienic water coolers to our range: The Jazz 1100 and the 3300X respectively. Both would mark a turning point in what workplace refreshments can be.
Contactless in how you can easily top your cup or bottle up without touching the water cooler itself, the two also had the bonus of featuring Sip Neo 3 technology that was built into the back of the coolers and was therefore invisible to the user. A key part of water cooler hygiene is sanitisation and more importantly the frequency in which this is carried out.
Sip Neo 3 sanitises your water dispenser automatically on a custom schedule designed to suit you, so you can rest in peace of mind. Read more.
May 2020 – We started offering PPE vending machines!
As the Coronavirus pandemic continued to grip our nation and develop at worrying pace, the vending industry was on hand to offer welcome rest bite through meaningful solutions. The flexibility of modern-day vending machines meant they were soon identified as a way to offer vital PPE. And we were only too happy to get on board with this revolutionary breakthrough.
The problem with previous PPE outlets is that they weren’t particularly hygienic nor secure. Many people would simply help themselves and all trace of the equipment would be gone, which isn’t ideal given the high price of obtaining such items. Working with one of our trusted suppliers Evoca Group, vending machines are able to combat the problem by safely storing the PPE, whilst requiring the user to use their personal key fob linked to their profile to access the products.
The safety and security of PPE vending machines make them ideal for busy or public environments, such as manufacturing sites.
May 2020 – Our Managing Director Roger Williams turns 80!
A welcome distraction from the pandemic and a real cause for celebration during the month of May came on the 16th, when our Managing Director Roger Williams turned 80!
Roger Williams founded Coinadrink Limited in 1962 and has been at the helm ever since, overseeing our rise and progress to become one of the most respected vending companies in the country. On his special day of celebration, a collection of friends, family, staff and colleagues came together to send him their best wishes.
There were even some special guests, so why not head to the video to see who they were?
May 2020 – Contactless technology graces a collection of coffee machines.
The busy month of May just got busier, as we welcomed the arrival of contactless technology that would prominently feature on the Vitro office coffee machines and the Neo floorstanding hot drinks machine. This would deliver peace of mind for those looking for a hygienic hot drinks’ solution.
Distance Selection was undoubtedly the highlight and would change the way consumers interact with their vending equipment moving forward. Eliminating the need to touch the coffee machine itself, the user simply had to “hover” their finger around 2cm from the desired drinks icon for it to vend.
Meanwhile, the Joyco mobile app was a worthy substitute to the few Vitro coffee machines that didn’t have that capability built in. Instead, you could simply vend your hot drink from the convenience of your mobile phone.
May 2020 – We welcome an exciting range of commercial coffee machines and coffee bean grinders.
Signing off the month was the exciting arrival of a new collection of coffee machines, our lineup of commercial coffee machines and coffee bean grinders from Gaggia would continue to evolve our vending machine range.
These machines were aimed squarely at coffee shops and similar environments, ideal for anyone with a burning passion for truly luxurious coffee that was unrivalled anywhere else. Cutting edge technology was made perfect for Barista’s, with precision engineered designs that housed it all.
View our range of commercial coffee machines and coffee bean grinders here.
June 2020 – Continuing to support our customers during the pandemic.
Right from when the Coronavirus first gripped us all, our pledge for delivering first-class customer service and customer support was again emphasised. And in June 2020, we produced an informative article detailing everything we were doing – and would continue to do – in support of our customers.
During what were unprecedented times, the safety of using a vending machine was questioned. But we quickly set minds at rest. As emphasised by the Automatic Vending Association, using a vending or coffee machine is just as safe as using other workplace facilities including toilets and even opening and closing doors! And compared to using the kettle, which is something many workplaces still do, using a vending machine is much more hygienic.
As ever, though, we did implement added procedures through free social distancing packs for customer machines, as well as offering free vending machine relocations within the same premises. We also showcased the advanced nature of vending machines and coffee machines by highlighting both the safety and convenience of contactless payments.
We were doing all we could to help. And we have continued to do so. Our blog post explained everything.
June 2020 – Borg’s hands-free foot pedal arrives for the B3 and B4 water coolers.
In what would be the first of Borg’s contactless solutions in response to the pandemic, our trusted supplier introduced a hands-free foot switch that was able to be fitted to the B3 and B4 mains fed water coolers respectively.
Customers enjoying one of these stylish water dispensers could now enjoy a contactless hydration experience by controlling the flow of water using just their feet. The foot pedal would prove to be a simple yet effective solution that eliminated those all-important touch points on their water cooler. Indeed, it went on to be an in-demand feature moving forward.
June 2020 – Once again showing our support to our wonderful NHS.
On the back of donating coffee machines and supplies to our local Walsall Manor Hospital back in April, June 2020 saw us repeat this gesture once again. This time it was slightly further afield, to the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton.
As a business, we again came together to donate a selection of food and drinks to hospital staff. We hoped this would show our NHS how we much we appreciated their efforts during what was continuing to be a very tough time, as did so many other businesses and individuals around the country.
Whilst the virus was hitting many people hard, the love and support our country and world were showing was admirable.
July 2020 – Black Country Day.
Another cause for celebration here at Coinadrink, as we celebrated the annual Black Country Day on July 14th. Those who know our company well will know that we are located in Walsall of the West Midlands and that our traditional roots have always stemmed back to the proud Black Country region!
Due to social distancing and many of our team still working from home due to the ongoing pandemic, we were unable to celebrate as we’d usually like to with a group photo. However, we couldn’t let this special day pass without so much as an acknowledgement, and we shared an article on the traditions of Black Country Day.
You can read that here.
August 2020 – Understanding the benefits of having a vending machine in the workplace.
As we ploughed on through a difficult year, we and indeed many others in the industry identified the way in which vending was fast becoming an excellent solution for keeping your staff refreshed at work.
From being a fantastic source of PPE to safely supplying workplaces up and down the country with high quality hot drinks, snacks and more, the safety and security of a vending machine was really starting to turn heads. With minimal to no contact points needed to vend your selection, a vending machine was becoming a great solution during troubled times.
We put together an article which detailed all the benefits of having a vending machine on site, which also explored the cost-effective side.
August 2020 – Control your water cooler using your smartphone.
Spurred on by the success of the hands-free foot pedal that they had introduced just a few months earlier, Borg were back with another innovative contactless solution that customers were able to take advantage of. Their new mobile app enabled you to control your dispenser using just your smartphone!
Similar to the mobile app that could be used in collaboration with the Vitro office coffee machines we mentioned earlier, Borg’s mobile app could work alongside their existing foot pedal to provide users with the B3 and B4 mark two models even more reassurance.
September 2020 – Breakthrough Purezone technology is here!
Up until now we had recorded favourable reception to the whole host of contactless equipment we’d added to our range. It had been exactly what many of our customers were looking for, both existing and prospective. But with Purezone technology, we took peace of mind to unrivalled territory.
Purezone antimicrobial technology is a thin transparent layer placed on top of the vending machine user interface that significantly reduces the presence of a variety of bacteria and viruses. The film is effective for up to three years from application and would prove to be unaffected by general cleaning protocols our operators follow as part of our stringent hygiene protocols.
The best thing about Purezone is that it doesn’t require the user to change the way they use their vending equipment. We’d been exploring something like this for a while. With Purezone, we had managed to find it. To read more about Purezone, and to view the huge number of existing vending and coffee machines it would work on, read our article here.
A huge breakthrough!
September 2020 – Our MacMillan Coffee Morning.
In spite of the Coronavirus pandemic, we went ahead with our annual MacMillan Coffee Morning and proceeded to adopt a socially distanced event in our company showroom.
Staff that were working in the office as normal excelled themselves with a delicious array of cakes and bakes. Together, we managed to raise £66 for an excellent charity, which was a wonderful effort given the reduced number of staff we had on-site across the two days.
October 2020 – Reemphasising our sustainable credentials.
Another annual event was the Fairtrade month that October was well known for in the vending and other related industries. We recognised this special event by producing an article demonstrating the importance of Fairtrade, and how we at Coinadrink Limited support the cause.
When you enjoy a delicious hot beverage from one of our coffee or vending machines you can be assured that the coffee beans used have travelled from a sustainable background that recognises the hard work of the coffee farmer. Read more about our Fairtrade efforts here.
October 2020 – Our revamped Express Refreshments website launches!
Express Refreshments is the trusted division that manages our Micro Market service. Whilst you can find plenty of information on our Micro Market’s through the Coinadrink website, our Express Refreshments site has always been the go-to destination for latest news and updates.
October 2020 saw us reinvigorate the whole website, by overhauling the design and key functions to help provide a better user experience. The new site sees Express Refreshments link closer to Coinadrink Limited, so customers can now view all of our services in one handy location.
View it here!
October 2020 – Innovative new water tap systems arrive.
October 2020 also saw us introduce the exciting and innovative range of FRIIA water tap systems, which are capable of becoming an all-in-one refreshment solution for many businesses despite such a compact design that looks fondly reminiscent of the tap in your kitchen at home.
That is where the similarities end, however. Hidden within the slender frame is advanced technology that can dispense cold, boiling and even sparkling water at the touch of a button. This makes it ideal to keep hydrated or produce that perfect tea or coffee. Whilst the FRIIA water tap itself consumes very little space, the undercounter boiler does all the hard work to provide what you need, when you need it. It’s also reliable and extremely efficient.
Read more here.
November 2020 – A further donation to our local Walsall Manor Hospital.
As the country entered a second lockdown in relation to rising Coronavirus cases, it was clear that our hard-working NHS would again be up against the tide. It was during this month that we repeated the gesture we made earlier in the year, by providing office coffee machines and supplies to staff in the ICU and high dependency wards.
November 2020 – Examining the appeal of vending machines in a post-COVID world.
With the virus gripping our nation for almost a year by now, we wanted to take a moment to look to the future, to a time where we would hopefully be edging towards a post-COVID world. We used a variety of information gathered from much of 2020 to explore how vending machines and the Micro Market could appeal as a great solution.
Our article, containing information backed up by the Automatic Vending Association, detailed the hygienic foundations of a vending machine, particularly when compared to using a kettle. And for larger workplaces, the open nature and minimal touch points in the Micro Market make that an equally enticing solution.
Here is the article, which details more.
November 2020 – Our newly sourced Cafe Casa coffee beans mark the start of an exciting rebrand!
November would prove to be a busy month. Those who had been following our social media channels over the past few months prior would have noticed that Café Casa, our own brand coffee beans that are very popular with Coinadrink customers, was undergoing an exciting rebrand.
And the start of November saw our newly sourced and newly packaged coffee beans arrive on our online store Refreshment Shop!
The new Ugandan Finca Blend coffee beans deliver an enticing mix of Arabica and Robusta that provides great tasting coffee at great value. The coffee beans also marked the start of an exciting rebrand that would push Café Casa into new territory, to a wider range of sectors.
Moving into 2021, we can’t wait to witness what is set to be an incredible journey for our Café Casa brand.
November 2020 – Protect your vending equipment with new vending furniture.
With vending quickly turning into a convenient, cost-effective and hygienic solution in keeping staff refreshed on site, our new range of vending furniture shines in keeping your equipment stylish, safe and secure at all times, regardless of its environment.
Vending furniture from Coinadrink Limited includes break-out areas and vending surrounds that turn your vending machines and vending equipment into a valuable destination, whilst smaller solutions such as coffee stations and recycling units deliver the same grand impact.
Our collection of webpages captures it all in one handy place.
November 2020 – Say hello to the new Vitro X1 office coffee machine.
What would turn out to be the last new arrival of 2020 was the Vitro X1 office coffee machine. Joining an already plentiful Vitro lineup to suit all requirements, the X1 was aimed at larger workplaces craving true espresso drinks.
The Vitro X1 office coffee machine delivers coffee shop quality hot drinks at up to 150 per day, with up to 12 drinks options that include Americano, Cappuccino and Espresso. As an added bonus, the Vitro X1 office coffee machine allows you to tailor your drinks menu and use different sized cups.
Here is the full article which goes into more detail.
November 2020 – Express Refreshments repeats its charitable Black Friday promotion.
As with 2019, our Micro Market division Express Refreshments did something a little different for the global shopping phenomenon that is of course Black Friday. In a market full of offers and discounts, we decided to work with our Micro Market customers to support their chosen charities through a week-long programme.
From the 23rd to the 29th of November, we donated 10p from every product sold in each Micro Market to charities chosen by them. And it was a big success, despite reduced numbers on site due to the pandemic. We raised a total of £182.70, an incredible effort from all our customers.
If you want to know what the chosen charities were, head to our Express Refreshments website.
December 2020 – Festive fun with a charitable background.
The month of December brought with it a lot of festive fun including social media competitions and Christmas Jumper Day. We intertwined many of our events with our pledge for charity work, as a way to help those in need during this time of year.
Firstly was the aforementioned Christmas Jumper Day, taking place on Friday 11th December. It was a lesser occasion than in previous years due to staff that were either furloughed or working from home, but we continued with the event nonetheless and raised £28.06.
We also continued with our annual support of St Giles Hospice, encouraging staff to attach a festive message to the mini Christmas tree on reception and donate to what is an excellent organisation that means so much to many of us here.
December 2020 – A generous donation to the children’s ward at Christmas time.
Proudly teaming up with the Well Wishers charity once again, Coinadrink and a collection of other local businesses helped bring a festive smile to the children under the care of the Walsall Manor Hospital during the holiday period.
Usually on the children’s ward, patients can enjoy a Santa visit and lots of additional festive fun, but 2020 saw Coronavirus unfortunately put a stop to the proceedings. Back in autumn, Well Wishers reached out to local businesses with their “Christmas Wish List” campaign, asking for kind donations of toys for children of all ages.
We were only too happy to show our support. Here is how we did it.
A case for optimism as we enter 2021, our 59th year trading!
As you can see, 2020 was certainly a busy year for us here at Coinadrink Limited! Despite the fact that it was undoubtedly tough, we were determined to battle on through with hard work and support for those around us, however near or far.
We are very proud of the way we faced the challenges presented to us and hope that our customers feel the same way about our efforts. Looking forward to 2021, we will continue to work hard as we push vending and workplace refreshments as a great solution for workplaces both now and in a post-COVID world.
We will emphasise our strengths that set us apart from the competition, such as our industry leading customer service efforts as well as our stringent hygiene protocols. We will focus on the things that matter to you, conforming to your expectations as a trusted and well-respected vending supplier spanning almost 59 years.
From everyone at Coinadrink, the vending company we wish everyone the very best as we move forward into the next 12 months. Whatever they may bring, we are ready.
Coinadrink Ltd
10-11, Maple Leaf Industrial Estate, Bloxwich Ln, Walsall WS2 8TF
01922 640777
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