The First Vegan Meal Vending Machine Just Arrived at a UK Hospital. Genius!

Hillington Hospital in London has received the first of what will soon be 500 new vegan meal vending machines located in hospitals across the UK. In a collaboration between  Vibrant Vegan meal delivery service and vending machine brand Open Kitchen Co., these machines will offer 18 different microwavable meals for £4.95 each (around $6.40) intended for National Health Services (NHS) workers who are working in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This comes after a survey of NHS staff revealed that an overwhelming 78 percent of workers said they would go for a hot vegan meal option if available. Now this will become a reality thanks to Vibrant Vegan and Open Kitchen Co., which plan to reach the goal of 500 machines across the UK in the next three years.

In a statement to The London Economic, Liz Kenny, Director of Open Kitchen Co, said, “It’s great to be working with the NHS and providing staff and visitors with hot, tasty and nutritious meals 24/7. The future of vending is exciting. Our high-tech machines have touchless COVID-proof technology, advanced software, and a super speedy oven that can cook meals from frozen in 3-4 minutes. Suitable for all cuisines and all environments our machine can be a great cost-saving solution for business whilst meeting the dietary needs of all."

The meals available in these vending machines take just 4 minutes to cook, and thanks to their time savings and cost efficiency, are a great, nutritious option for healthcare workers who are in a pinch for healthy food to fuel up on during long shifts.

“As we all know, the NHS has been doing an incredible job of keeping the country afloat during this terrible pandemic, and it’s been a pleasure to collaborate with Open Kitchen Co. to try and make a difference – we’re confident the partnership is going to improve the quality of NHS staff diets across the country,” said Iain Burke-Hamilton, founder of Vibrant Vegan.