The first fully vegan vending machine has been installed in the Isle of Man, a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland, which does not belong to the United Kingdom (although the UK is responsible for the isle’s military defence and represents it abroad) but it is geographically part of the British Isles.
The company MannVend supplies coffee vending machines across the Isle of Man, and now has installed the first vegan snack machine in the departure lounge of the Sea Terminal.
Tracey Leahy, the managing director of MannVend, said to the Isle of Man Today the following: “Choice is made easy now for our vegan consumers with a comprehensive selection in one dedicated place. The range includes crisps, snacks, chocolate, biscuits, sweets and protein bars. They have all been tested by my team and there’s no compromise on taste.”
The first vegan vending machine in the UK was reportedly created in 2018 in Bristol by Remi Toth a primary school teacher who turned vegan two years before and found that most supermarkets did not fill her need for quick, ‘on-the-go’ vegan snacks. Remi’s ‘Vegan Vend’ machines, which could be found at The Island and The Galleries in Bristol city centre, featured different designs on the outside from local Bristol artists. Hillingdon Hospital in Greater London became the first to have a vegan hot meal vending machine for NHS staff on shift. Vegan subscription company Vibrant Vegan partnered with Open Kitchen Co. to launch vegan hot meal vending machines in UK hospitals, starting with Hillington Hospital in Greater London in 2020.
