Coinadrink Limited – the Vending Machine Company. A summary of 2018.

And just like that, 2018 is almost over. In similar fashion to 2017, 16 and all those before, another year has whizzed by in the blink of an eye. This year has seen new vending machine additions, charitable updates and special days and between each and everyone, 2018 has been a fantastic year for both the company and the vending industry. One that we can all be proud of.

January 2018 – A vending machine with a heart for the homeless.

I first posted this because it showed the progression of the vending industry. Not just for technology, not even for products, but for our community. Installed in Nottingham, this unique vending machine stocked key items such as water, fresh fruit and toothpaste, and allowed simple access for those on the streets. It showed that vending machines can be more than a source of refreshment. They’re also a source for survival.

The Coinadrink party night was a huge success…

January 2018 – PARTY NIGHT!

I’ve often been told that Coinadrink’s party nights are always great occasions, but I’d never had the taste of one myself until January 27^th2018. The National Motor Cycle Museum was home to a great night celebrating our 55^thbirthday, action packed with great food, live entertainment and terrific company. We also managed to raise £5500, split between both Acorns Children’s Hospice and Just Small Change, from a dedicated prize draw and auction.

February 2018 – The ICON arrives…

Coinadrink has always been committed to delivering the very best the industry has to offer, such is the emphasis we place on innovation. We saw a great opportunity with the ICON to offer a dynamic hot drinks machine that served an extensive and authentic coffee style drinks menu to larger workplaces. Since its introduction, we have recorded high demand for the ICON and it’s proved to be an excellent hot drinks machine.

March 2018 – Customer care results for 2017 were in…

Towards the end of every year we always send out our customer care surveys in order to gain an idea as to what our customers think about the service we provide. We generally do better each year and we were delighted to say that 2017 continued the trend. 98% of customers said they were happy with our service plan and 99% said they would recommend us if asked by a colleague: excellent news! We look forward to seeing the results from 2018…

Our very own Micro Market in our showroom.

April 2018 – Time to enjoy our very own Micro Market!

Our Micro Market was introduced in 2013 and it has been refreshing workforces up and down the region ever since. We regard the Micro Market as the revolution in workplace refreshments thanks to an extensive product line and advanced technology. It all helps towards improving both the wellbeing and productivity of your employees. April 2018 saw us introduce our own in the showroom, for staff to use whenever we like!

July 2018 – Coinadrink helps to support Dementia UK.

Whilst we have our name tied to a number of charities, we are always more than happy to support additional organisations if the opportunity arises. That’s exactly what we did at the start of July, when we supported Emma Dodd in her quest to raise money for Dementia UK through a coffee morning at the Essington Community Centre. Emma then ran the Great North Run in September.

July 2018 – The exciting launch of our new website.

The website you’re currently on was dramatically refreshed in July, with an improved design, updated content and more efficient navigation tools. Drop down menus and a dedicated search button made exploring the site a breeze, whilst we made is easier to explore how vending can work for you with exclusive pages designed for each industry. We also made it easier for you to get in touch with us, and ensured every aspect of the site is easy to edit on the fly.

The Kalea joined our range earlier this year.

August 2018 – The Kalea joins our range.

The Kalea is the sister of the Karisma, an advanced tabletop that produces authentic beverages with the help of fresh coffee beans and fresh milk. Whilst the two are very similar in the ways that matter, the Kalea caters to smaller workplaces with a lower cup capacity, whilst the taller dispense area means it can accommodate larger cups. Just like the Karisma, though, it’s stunning, and the drinks produced rival the coffee shop.

September 2018 – The Midlands Business Network Expo.

We love exhibitions and the Midlands Business Network Expo was another opportunity to display our premium range of services to visitors. Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire hosted the occasion, a very prestigious host indeed. We took the Flavia 500 down the M6 with us, as it best emphasises the simplicity of vending in the workplace. It was a great day filled with lots of interest in our services, and we already can’t wait for the next one.

September 2018 – We were selected as a finalist in the Black Country Chamber Awards!

As we said back in September, it’s not every day you’re selected as a finalist in the Black Country Chamber awards is it? We entered the ‘Customer Commitment’ category in June, which we believed would be perfect to show just how much we do for the customer, from our industry leading response time to our bespoke management systems. We were thrilled to hear that the Chamber agreed. The Wolverhampton Racecourse hosted a great evening in November and whilst we didn’t win, we were delighted to get the initial recognition.

September 2018 – Macmillan Coffee Morning.

The Macmillan Coffee Morning rolled round again and employees at Coinadrink once again excelled themselves. A delicious spread of cakes and bakes were on display, making for a fantastic morning. In the process, we managed to raise an excellent £80 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Well done all!

We’ve been highly commended for our two award entries from The Vendies!

October 2018 – Highly commended by The Vendies!

As if being a finalist in the Black Country Chamber Awards wasn’t enough, we were also highly commended by The Vendies for our two competition entries: ‘Best Regional Operator’ and Best Regional Website’. The former meant we successfully identified the emphasis we place on customer service, whilst the latter showed how we benefit the customer through our new website. It was a fantastic effort from the whole team.

October 2018 – A warm welcome to the future of vending…

October saw another new arrival: the Merchant Media snack machine. The Merchant introduced a range of features that identify the future of vending, such as a QR code that holds key information to make the whole service process much more efficient than ever before. A shopping cart function means you can pay for numerous items at once whilst Apple and Google Pay make payment a doddle.

November 2018 – Express Refreshments does Black Friday!

The shopping phenomenon, famous all over the world, came to Express Refreshments in November. We teamed up with our Micro Market customers to donate 10p per sale to their chosen charities, ranging from Focus to the James Hopkins Trust. The promotion, running from the 23^rdto the 30^thNovember, proved very successful and collectively we managed to raise over £240!

December 2018 – An update from Just Small Change.

Just Small Change is another chosen charity that we have been supporting for a while, alongside Acorns Children’s Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Support. This month we received an update from Peter and Jane Donaghue, the couple who founded the organisation, to say our help was boosting the lives of many people across Africa. They also informed us of a new scheme called Table Banking, where members pay in and provide loans to each other.

It’s certainly been a very busy and successful 2018 and we’re hopeful of an equally successful 2019. From everyone at Coinadrink, a very Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you all!

The post Coinadrink Limited – the Vending Machine Company. A summary of 2018. appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/vending-machine-company-summary-of-2018

Vending News: Walkers launch the first Nationwide recycling scheme for crisp packets!

Despite the big push from the government, there is still not enough being done for effective recycling. Walkers (a popular product brand found in vending machines) is looking to change this, with the first ever Nationwide recycling scheme for crisp packets. It launched on Monday 10^th December and will be advertised on Walkers crisp packets from January 2019.

A background.

Working with recyclers, Terra Cycle, the scheme will tap into an established network of hundreds of recycling points around the UK. Better still, it’s free and simple to use, and all brands of crisp packets will be accepted in order to be turned into other, basic plastic items.

How it works.

• Your empty crisp packets can be dropped off at any recycling point around the UK. There are hundreds in total and your nearest one can be found here.
• If there isn’t a drop-off point local to you, simply download a label from the Terra Cycle website and arrange to have your packets collected from home by a courier free of charge.
• The packets will then be sent to Terra Cycle who will clean and shred them, before turning them into small plastic pellents. These will be used to make everyday items including furniture, trays and even flooring!

Support the scheme!

Everybody is surely aware that former footballer and current pundit Gary Lineker is the brand ambassador for Walkers, and has voiced his support for the scheme and explained how it works in an online video. This is available to view now at…As mentioned, the scheme will also be advertised on their crisp packets from January 2019.

As an incentive to take part, the scheme offers charity points based on the number of bags collected. Rather than send off one packet at a time, Walkers encourage you to collect many packets and then send them all off in one go. 

Conclusion.

 PepsiCo is aiming to ensure all of it’s packaging is 100% recyclable, compostable and biodegradable by 2025 and this is an important step. This is the first crisp packet recycling scheme in the UK and the brand are hopeful of it being a big success.

But everyone needs to play their part…

The post Vending News: Walkers launch the first Nationwide recycling scheme for crisp packets! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/vending-news-walkers-recycling-crisp-packets

How much did our Black Friday efforts manage to raise?

You may have remembered that our branch division, Express Refreshments, got on board with Black Friday last month. In a unique, charitable twist, we committed to ‘teaming up’ with our Micro Market customers to donate 10p per sale to their chosen charities. It was a very successful promotion, and we’re now delighted to announce exactly how much we managed to raise…

Drum roll please. Together with our customers, we managed to raise a terrific £262.40 for all of the chosen charities, so a very well done to everyone involved! The charities in question included Douglas Macmillan, Focus, James Hopkins Trust, NASS (National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society). More information on the organisations can be found on the original blog post, and we’re thrilled to help raise valuable funds for some excellent causes.

Once again, a very well done from everyone at Coinadrink and Express Refreshments!

The post How much did our Black Friday efforts manage to raise? appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/black-friday-funds-raised

Christmas Jumper Day 2018 – What’s it all about?

Christmas Jumper Day 2018 is set for Friday 14^thDecember. Thousands of people up and down the country will don their Christmas jumpers for a fantastic cause – to create a better, brighter future for vulnerable children around the world. We signed up for the annual event a few weeks back and are delighted to have now received our welcome pack from Save The Children.

Make the world better with a sweater!

Save The Children UK works to support children living in some of the poorest places across the globe. Just £2 could pay for the antibiotics needed to treat 5 children suffering from pneumonia, so it’s incredible to think what can be achieved from the country as a whole. And just by wearing a sweater, we can help children to not only survive, but to thrive!

Sammy, aged 9 from Rwanda, has benefitted from the organisations ‘Let’s Read’ club, which helps to ensure that all children leave school with the ability to read. Save the Children supports Rwandan publishers, writers and illustrators to create engaging, educational titles in Kinyarwanda– Sammy’s first language.

“The teachers say it’s a shame to see a grown-up who is given a book and can’t read. To get a job, you need to read and write,” Sammy explains.

“I learned to read by going to the reading club,” he goes on to say. “Now I help some friends in school. When they don’t understand, I help them if I can.”

Alongside ‘Let’s Read’, Save the Children has been training teachers to set up book banks and use reading materials effectively as part of their lessons. In 2017, the charities educational programmes extended to 842,000 children, meaning more children experienced life-changing opportunities. The power of education has helped the 124 million children worldwide that have either never previously started school or dropped out.

Employees happy to take part will donate £2 to Save The Children. It can be any sort of Christmas jumper, from glitzy to ‘bauble-y’, so we’re looking forward to seeing what we can come up with. Last year we managed to raise £32.80, so we’re hoping to do even better this time around!

The post Christmas Jumper Day 2018 – What’s it all about? appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/christmas-jumper-day-2018

Log service faults easier than ever with machine QR codes!

Here at Coinadrink we pride ourselves on our standard of customer service, but we never stand still and we’re always looking to improve. QR codes are now being added to the Merchant Media snack machines as they are delivered to us, which will create a new, simple way to report service calls into us. This is also something that we’re also looking to add to the rest of our range in the near future and we’re already in the process of rolling them out.

What is a QR code?

The QR code is a two dimensional version of the standard barcode. It stands for ‘quick response’ which refers to the instant access to the information hidden within the code. It has become especially popular with widespread adoption of smartphones.

QR codes for service calls.

Our QR code is already on the new Merchant Media…

We said a few weeks ago that we will be introducing QR codes on our range of Merchant machines and we are thrilled to announce that we will be adding it to the rest of our machines shortly. It will enable you to scan the code using your smartphone, using either the camera app or a dedicated third party app.

The moment you scan the code it will prompt a webpage link to appear with the machine number and location already inputted thanks to the information stored in the QR code. All you then need to do is fill in the remaining details, such as your name and the type of fault, and then send the call into our online database here at Coinadrink.

We believe that such a revolutionary way of reporting in faults will further streamline both your vending experience and our service to you. It means you don’t have to pick up the phone or send an email to us and information within the QR code sends most of the information across without you having to input anything.

The post Log service faults easier than ever with machine QR codes! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/qr-codes-service-calls

Throwback to party night…20 years ago this week!

We love a good party here at Coinadrink, so when I saw that we hosted one 20 years ago this week I just had to share such a fantastic throwback. 28^th November 1998 was the date and the National Motor Cycle Museum in Birmingham was the venue, and it goes without saying that we once again managed to turn the party into a very successful charity event!

Check out our press release from 1998…

We managed to meet our £2500 target for the evening, to which all proceeds went to the National Institute of Conductive Education, first opened in 1995 in Moseley (it’s still open today!). Conductive Education is an education system for adults and children with motor disorders, to which individuals are given the skills

and motivation to overcome such challenges. Such disorders can be the result of disease or damage to the central nervous system, resulting in conditions such as strokes and Parkinson’s disease. The Conductive Education restores some purpose and pride, and motivates individuals to achieve more.

Each place at the National Institute was subsidised by the foundation up to £5000, so we were delighted to help out.

It was a great night and the throwback proves once again that Coinadrink certainly know how to throw a party. The Drifters were the main source of entertainment, featuring the legendary Johnny Moore and DJ Paul Burrell from BRMB.

 

The post Throwback to party night…20 years ago this week! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/throwback-party-night-1998

Charity update: Just Small Change – What is Table Banking?

Just Small Change is a microfinance charity that Coinadrink has been supporting for a while. Peter and Jane Donaghue are friends of ours and we are delighted to help make a difference in some of the poorest parts of the world. We were delighted to receive an update from Peter and Jane last week regarding the organisations’ progress, including the introduction of ‘table banking’…

What is Table Banking?

Women are often left out and unable to access loans from traditional banks, so table banking works to make things easier. It is a group based funding system that sees members pay in weekly amounts for others to borrow as and when they need it. The minimum amount they can donate is set by the group, so the members’ income can be factored in beforehand.

Every week there is a discussion into who owes what and how much money people can look into borrowing. A clear business plan must be displayed prior to borrowing any funds and the loans can either be repaid in the short term or long term. On a short term basis, the interest rate is 10%, whilst on long term it is set to 1%. Group guarantee means that members act as guarantors for each loan taken out. If one defaults then the other members cannot access finance, so it acts as motivation to keep up the repayments.

Table banking has countless benefits. As it is group owned, members gain a sense of pride that wouldn’t be available from a traditional bank, and all repayments go back into the groups’ kitty. The close interaction with members creates knowledge and skills needed to successfully invest, whilst it’s also a very convenient way to bank due to being close to where they live.

With the help of table banking, many women’s fortunes have been boosted.

Quinter.

Quinter has benefitted from Table Banking.

Quinter is a widow who took out a loan of 10,000ksh (£77), though in tragic circumstances she lost her 7 year old son to a nasty snake bite and had to pay for the funeral. Quinter was still able to repay the loan, but in doing so she would struggle to make ends meet.

Just Small Change were in discussions to allow Quinter some extra grace period, and she has used the loan to purchase a cooking bowl. She cooks maize and beans every night and sells them the following morning for 10ksh (0.08p) by the cone.

She makes around 11,000ksh (£84.61) a week and together with reduced living costs, she is now able to start an additional business with her savings – a second hand clothing store.

Alice.

Alice has always sold chapatti for a living, though upon receiving a loan of 10,000ksh she has managed to purchase extra meal bowls and stock. By adding bean stew to her sales, Alice is now selling more chapatti, too.

She makes an average profit of 600ksh (£4.62) every morning, which she uses to buy fruit and vegetables to then sell on her market in the evening. This brings in a further 150ksh (£1.50) profit.

Alice spends her additional income on supporting her children with food and better quality living arrangements and transport to and from school. At some point in the future, Alice wants to open her own kiosk with her savings.

Susan.

Susan saves 100-200ksh in the table banking scheme.

Susan is 28 and has three children of her own. She also has three siblings who also live with her. She borrowed 10,000ksh in March 2018 and now has only 2,500ksh outstanding.

Susan sells soap and disinfectant. The loan has helped her to bulk buy 20 litre drums of disinfectant to sell in 250ml and 500ml bottles, which has helped her profit margins rise to 3500ksh (£27) per week.

Susan spends her extra income on household expenses and clothes for her children, as well as school fees. She saves 100-200ksh (77p-£1.54) in the table banking and she is soon looking to expand her stock on the stall.

Clarice.

A widow aged 65, Clarice has 7 dependants. This includes the four children of her son who died in the AIDS epidemic. The 10,000ksh loan has helped Clarice to add stock to her to stall selling onions and tomatoes.

Having paid off this loan she then borrowed 20,000ksh (£154) and also managed to inherit some land by Lake Victoria. She used 8000ksh of this loan to purchase two goats and two sheep and plans to breed animals to sell.

After making a profit off her vegetable sales, Clarice has created an additional livelihood by employing someone to tend her land. All of her other money is spent on her children. She has also saved money in the table banking group.

Ruth.

Ruth is another person who has benefitted from the help of Just Small Change and table banking.

Ruth’s husband has been sick for 13 years so she is the sole provider for her family of 5 children. Her 10,000ksh loan has already been repaid, which was used to start raising ducks and selling the ducklings for 500-700ksh.

After having 49 birds in her flock, Ruth was able to take out an additional loan of 20,000ksh which she has used to diversify into bricks. The loan was used to purchase clay, a wheel barrow and a spade.

Ruth makes the bricks at home, for homebuilders to come and pick them up. The bricks sell at 15ksh each, enabling Ruth to make a profit of 10,000ksh every year. This has improved her living standards.

 

 

 

We’re delighted to again see steady success within the organisation and are thrilled to help!

The post Charity update: Just Small Change – What is Table Banking? appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/table-banking

Express Refreshments brings charity to Black Friday 2018!

Black Friday. You can’t fail to have noticed the shopping phenomenon that consumes the Nation every year. And now we’ve decided to get on board with Black Friday ourselves in the most charitable way possible. We have committed to donate 10p from each sale made in our Micro Markets, to a charity that has been nominated by each customer.

Express Refreshments has been making a difference to the wellbeing of workforces for a while, and it will now also make a difference to a wide range of charities that do some truly excellent work. The programme will begin today, Friday 23rd November, and run for 7 days until next Friday 30th. It is the first time our Express Refreshments division has got on board with Black Friday and we’re confident of it being a success.

Each customer has been made aware of the programme and are delighted to take part. We are thrilled to share their chosen charities with you below:

GENESIS CENTRE: Douglas Macmillan.

Douglas Macmillan aim to provide an excellent level of care to people approaching end of life. The hospice operates around the clock 365 days a year and they care for over 3000 patients with life-limiting illnesses every year in and around North Staffordshire. These include cancer, motor neurone disease and incurable lung diseases.

LONESTAR FASTENERS: To be confirmed.

Everybody at Lonestar are going to hold a vote as to which charity they wish to donate to. We’re looking forward to hearing who they have chosen!

SAFRAN LANDING SYSTEMS: Focus and James Hopkins Trust.

Focus is the charitable fund for the Gloucestershire Oncology Centre, who directly provide extra care, specialist equipment and improvements to facilities for local cancer patients. Their work in Gloucestershire and the surrounding counties reaches a population of over 1 million people!

James Hopkins Trust provide care and support for babies and children up to the age of 5 who have a life limiting or life threatening condition whilst also providing support for their families. James Hopkins Trust has supported over 500 children and their families since the organisation was founded in 1989.

SHAYLOR GROUP PLC: The Shaylor Foundation.

The Shaylor Foundation provides the freedom to support a wide range of charities throughout the UK. The foundation has helped raise thousands of pounds for dedicated organisations and they are committed to inspiring young people to build careers they can be proud of.

WHITTLE JONES (KEYS BUSINESS VILLAGE): NASS (National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society)

NASS supports patients who suffer with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a rare condition that causes fusion of the spine. The charity has branches up and down the country where they fundraise, support and exercise together. The organisation is especially special to Whittle Jones as their Centre Manager also suffers with the condition.

We’re happy that we are putting a different twist on Black Friday 2018 and we’ll be sure to let you know how much money has been raised for each charity in due course!

The post Express Refreshments brings charity to Black Friday 2018! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/Black-Friday-2018

The link between your working environment and productivity.

How you design your workplace is more important than you think. It’s strongly believed that a workplace that puts employees first is key to improving both wellbeing and productivity. Employees require a better working environment to combat common, everyday issues such as stress and fatigue.

A genuine break time area.

What good is a break time if you return to work feeling no better than before? A break area needs to be open plan and equipped with equipment to leave you feeling refreshed and invigorated, such as hot drinks machines, water coolers or a Micro Market. Furthermore, you could also look into tying your break time area in to a recreational area. This will transform a typical working environment into one that is fun, lively, and one that your employees will want to be a part of. A recreational and break time area may spark further creativity from your staff.

Comfort takes priority. 

More and more employers are starting to understand just how important their staff are to their business. They are a real asset to your company. In a staggering fact that we’ve made you aware of before, we spend around a third of our working lives at work, so having a comfortable working environment is vital. Although it sounds silly to suggest a chair can improve this, there is some truth in it. A chair that offers firm back support that’s adjustable for different people will help, and may lead to stronger performance in the workplace.

It’s also the little things…

Elsewhere, it has been suggested that filling your workplace with natural light promotes a healthier environment. Many businesses, particularly smaller ones, have their offices in closed spaces and must therefore rely on littering their workplace with lights to brighten up the surroundings. Open areas at work can ease workplace stress, so try to implement as many of these as you can. It’s also been noted that adding greenery to your surroundings can help. Plants are good for your health and the likes of holy basil and jasmine can help purify the air and make your workplace more productive. Why not try it?

To tie up.

It’s fantastic to hear that employers are identifying issues in the workplace and are keen on taking steps to improve the wellbeing of their workforce. Coinadrink can help with our advanced refreshment solutions and innovative Micro Market concept, but ideas clearly stem much further.

The post The link between your working environment and productivity. appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/working-environment-productivity

Will you spot the Coca-Cola truck this Christmas?

The Coca-Cola truck has always been a tell-tale sign that Christmas is well and truly on its way, and the 2018 journey has now begun! Friday 9^thNovember saw the festive truck depart from Glasgow, Scotland, and it will make its way down the UK right up until it reaches Croydon, London, on Sunday 16^thDecember. When will it pass by you?

History of the Coca Cola truck.

The Coca-Cola truck is a familiar sight for almost all of us. It’s hard to believe that we have been seeing it on our TV screens for over 20 years now, with the advert first appearing in 1995 courtesy of W. B. Doner. The lorries, previously known as ‘Christmas Caravans’ were originally illuminated with special effects by the Industrial Light and Magic company, who were behind the Star Wars films. The twinkling truck amidst the snowy landscape really made us believe that holidays were on their way, enhanced further by Santa raising a bottle of Coca-Cola right at the end of the advert.

The Coca-Cola truck then jumped to life from our TV screens in 2011. In that eight years, the truck has travelled more than 737,000 miles well equipped with the magical ‘holidays are coming’ jingle.

Holidays are coming!

Everyone who visits the truck receives a free 150ml can of Coca-Cola zero sugar, Diet Coke, or Coca-Cola original taste. The company are also encouraging the public to dispose of their empty can in one of their recycling bins as part of their ‘World Without Waste’ campaign – to collect and recycle a bottle or can for each one sold by the year 2030.

So when is the Coca-Cola truck coming to your town? For us here in the West Midlands, it will be visiting Borehamwood, Sutton Coldfield and East Side Green, Birmingham, on Wednesday 12^thDecember, Thursday 13^thDecember and Saturday 15^thDecember respectively. For everyone else, head to the Coca-Cola website for the full list!

The post Will you spot the Coca-Cola truck this Christmas? appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/coca-cola-truck

Who will be able to handle the pressure of jungle life?

‘I’m a Celebrity’ is back on our screens this Sunday 18^th November for series 18 and if you’re anything like us here in the office then it’s very big news! This years’ lineup is an enticing one to say the least, with the likes of Harry Redknapp, John Barrowman and Fleur East heading into the jungle. With maximum stress and limited food, brace yourselves for lots of excitement, lots of drama…and no coffee to see them through! 

Anyone who has the slightest interest in the show will know that home comforts are strictly forbidden in the harsh jungle environment. That even includes cups of tea and coffee! All us coffee lovers out there will argue that a hot drink is a need as opposed to a luxury, but clearly the producers don’t have the same idea. The campmates have to make do with cold and boiling water, though there was once a story from Jenny Eclair that the campmates were often bribed with tea, coffee and hot chocolate to do their chores…

I’m wondering who will declare that they’re missing their tea or coffee first. The slightly older personality of Harry Redknapp may require more of a boost (can you believe he’s 71?!) but on the other hand he has handled the stresses and strains of football management so he’s probably well equipped for the jungle! Maybe one of the younger ones will be in greater need. Emily Atack or James McVey, perhaps? It’ll certainly be interesting…

Who are you looking forward to seeing the most this year, and why not make a prediction as to who you think will win? Join the conversation below and on social media! Meanwhile, get a visual insight into this years’ contestants and remind yourself who they are!

The post Who will be able to handle the pressure of jungle life? appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/Im-a-celebrity-2018-jungle-life

Check out this potato vending machine from 1962!

I’ve managed to find a vending machine from the same year we were born! A potato vending machine from 1962 was captured right here in the UK, and it’s very interesting indeed. It’s certainly causing quite a storm on the internet.

According to the social media site ‘Pinterest’, this machine was spotted in Chelsea, London, 56 years ago. It was the first ever vending machine to dispense potatoes, and did so around the clock to provide ‘top quality, washed, graded and pre-packed potatoes’.

Ideal if you’re missing a vital ingredient of your Sunday roast, isn’t it? What do you think about this machine, would you find a use for one if it was still around today?

The post Check out this potato vending machine from 1962! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/2018/11/potato-vending-machine

Do you remember the ‘drumming gorilla’ TV commercial?

I love reminiscing through old TV adverts. Over a month ago now I shared the dancing eyebrows advert with you and it quickly became clear that many of you feel the same. The reception the post received, particularly on social media, was incredible and the ad sparked fond memories. Now, I’ve found another Cadbury classic, this time with the drumming gorilla! 

This advert was two years prior to the dancing eyebrows one and I personally preferred it. The 90 second ad consisted of a large gorilla drumming to Phil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’. It first appeared on our screens on 31^stAugust 2007 and cost a rumoured £6.2 million to produce. It was the first time that Cadbury moved away from advertising their products directly and they hoped the drumming gorilla would appeal to a wider range of consumers and get their name pushed further afield.

Do you remember the dancing gorilla advert? Where does it rank in the best adverts for you?

 

The post Do you remember the ‘drumming gorilla’ TV commercial? appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/drumming-gorilla-cadbury

Do you know how long you sit at your desk during the day?

Have you ever wondered just how long you sit at your desk every day? The facts are somewhat startling. According to a workplace survey carried out by Fellows, 81% of UK office workers spend between four and nine hours a day just sitting at their desk, which equates to an incredible 67 sedentary days per person per year…

Stand (literally!) and take notice of the problem.

The figures only get worse. Despite the fact that our day passes by in front of a computer screen or endless levels of paperwork, the vast majority of employers simply aren’t doing enough to make their staff feel comfortable at their desk. 45% of employees up and down the country say their boss does not offer the necessary tools and equipment, which leaves 26% of them agreeing that this makes them less productive.

First-hand experience of more productive workstations.

Coinadrink has understood the role workplace refreshments play on our wellbeing and productivity for over 56 years and we have developed a solid reputation for improving workplaces up and down the region with our services. This includes our own! Our showroom is laden with hot drinks machines for our staff and visitors and there is of course our new Micro Market as well.

My role for the company sees me having to spend a lot of time at my desk behind a computer, but having refreshments available to me throughout the day encourages me to take constructive breaks from my desk. Whilst the article from Workplace Insight states ergonomic equipment may be the solution to low wellbeing at work, it’s clear that workplace refreshments make a valuable difference as well.

The benefits of vending are there to be enjoyed by all.

Think about how often you crave a hot drink and, more importantly, the reason why. Robert Deans, founder and director of the Coffee Tasting Club, says that drinking coffee can have a positive effect on mood, memory, alertness and wellbeing whilst the UK Tea & Infusions Association argues a cup of tea can bring countless health benefits.

Then there’s the Micro Market. Your very own refreshment hub invites you into an array of refreshments that persuade you to stay on site for your break time. Whilst the Micro Market conforms to the current demands of the working world and the need for grab and go, you can also relax in the designated area and take your mind off work for a while.

So we’ve established that vending can be a benefit to your workforce, but how do you go about enjoying those benefits? One of the reasons why we’re considered a well-respected vending company is due to our customer-centric approach, which you can enjoy the benefits of from the very beginning. We take the time to establish your requirements before using our knowledge and experience to tailor our services to suit.

We can make vending work for your business and all it takes is a phone call or email.

The post Do you know how long you sit at your desk during the day? appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/do-you-know-how-long-you-sit-at-your-desk

The new Merchant MEDIA

We’ve added an amazing new snack machine to our line-up this month. The Merchant MEDIA comes with a host of features that provide some real insight into the future of vending.

The Merchant’s remote management feature allows for precise control over product planograms and pricing, without the need to visit the machine on site. The system even allows us to set up advanced offers and discounts such as ‘meal deals’, as well as displaying nutritional information to help your staff make informed decisions.

From the user’s perspective, the Merchant is intuitive and simple to use, with a choice of either a large touchscreen or traditional keypad. A shopping cart function means you can easily purchase multiple products in one transaction, with payment options including contactless, Google Pay and Apple Pay.

The merchant is also the first machine to feature our new Service QR code. If anything goes wrong you can quickly let us know by pointing your phone camera at the label and clicking the link that appears on screen. We’ll add this feature to all our machines over time.

The post The new Merchant MEDIA appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/merchant-media

Our new customer portal is in development!

After our recent website redesign we are now working on an exciting new customer portal. As a Coinadrink customer you will soon be able to login via our website and have access to a wide range of new features.

The system will allow you to view invoices, confirm deliveries, and check the status of orders. Not only that, but you will be able to place service calls online, update your company details, and set preferences how we should contact you.

The site will also include the option to set up separate accounts for users with limited access, depending on their role. Your accounts department might only need to see invoices, so you can limit their access to just that page.

We believe My Coinadrink will deliver a personal, easy to use experience, that brings all the key information from your account into one place.

We will keep you updated on how this is progressing, so make sure you keep checking back.

We can’t wait for you to try it.

The post Our new customer portal is in development! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/customer-portal

We’ve just been highly commended from The Vendies!

Look out, we’ve just been highly commended from The Vendies for our two recent competition entries: ‘Best Regional Operator’ and ‘Best Operator Website’! The Vendies awards are recognition of the hard work and dedication of all the vending companies in the industry, so it’s pleasing to have been given strong recognition. How about that for a bit of ‘Friday Feeling’?

Whilst I wrote the two entries, it was a team effort for both, and departments including IT, Finance and Logistics helped emphasise just why we’re considered to be an elite vending company. The ‘Best Regional Operator’ category was looking for ways in which the operator benefits the customer through bespoke initiatives and industry innovation, whilst the ‘Best Operator Website’ was looking for operators who use the online experience to enhance the customer experience. You can see the exact criteria here.

As well as the digital copies that take centre stage as the featured image, it was also nice to receive the hard copies that will take pride of place somewhere here in the business. Well done, team!

The post We’ve just been highly commended from The Vendies! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/2018/10/the-vendies

Could you have completed 30 squats for a free train ticket?

Remember the Winter Olympic Games back in 2014? Social media has recently been rife with a clever idea that the Russian Olympic Committee used to promote the event, where passengers visiting the Vystavochaya Station in Moscow could have chosen to pay for their ticket in squats!

Maybe you remembered it from back then, but I’m confused as to how it’s only seemingly made it’s way onto social media recently! The idea was to get people active and excited for the games and the only criteria is that you must complete the 30 squats in the allocated two minutes. If you fail, you must pay the 30 Rubles for the ticket, which is the equivalent of about 35p.

Seeing as it provided passengers with the chance to avoid having to pay, it’s no surprise that it caught on. If people can avoid having to pay for something in response for something so simple, they will, and it was certainly a different way of promoting the games. The Russian Olympic Committee said that whilst no count was taken of the number of free tickets issued, the interest was ‘enthusiastic’.

Being a big sports fan myself, it’s something I’d have been very keen on attempting and I’d welcome something similar returning, though I’m not sure how successful I’d be. Apparently if you failed you had to do the ‘walk of shame’, so the pressure would have certainly been on!

It’s clear, though, that this was a great way to emphasise that the Olympics aren’t just something to watch every two years. There’s more to the games than that, and they engage everybody in the sporting way of life. And in the days where vending has a greater emphasis on healthier eating and healthier lifestyles, it’s nice to see that you can receive your ‘items’ by engaging in a little exercise. Maybe other companies could follow suit…

You can check out people having a go at completing the challenge in the video below. How athletic are you, do you reckon you could have completed the full 30 squats in 2 minutes or less? In addition, would you welcome not having to pay for items in return for completing exercises?

The post Could you have completed 30 squats for a free train ticket? appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/30-squats-for-a-free-train-ticket

Death by chocolate bar? ‘Blonde’ chocolate? Five interesting facts on National Chocolate week!

This week is the 14^thconsecutive National Chocolate Week and it’s hardly surprising it’s been going on for so long really, is it? As far as themed occasions go, celebrating our love of the chocolate bar has to be one of the easiest to do. For this week, I have decided to do a little research into some of the facts behind the Nation’s favourite treat. Granted, none of us will care too much when we’re stuffing our faces, but they’re nice to know anyway, right? And some of them are particularly interesting indeed…

White chocolate is not chocolate!

I chose this as the number one because I think it’ll probably hit home with quite a few of you out there: for every person who hates the stuff, there’s another who adores it (including me!). Whilst the ingredients for white chocolate do come from a cocoa bean, it doesn’t have solid cocoa in it at all. It’s actually made with the by-product of a cocoa bean – cocoa butter – which is milk, sugar and flavouring to create the white chocolate taste.

The tale of the Jewel thief…

A very unusual one, this, I have to say, but rather amusing all the same. A jewel thief once made off with $21 million dollars worth (£14m) of gems in 2007 because he was able to gain the trust of the guards working the bank in Antwerp, Belgium, by offering them chocolate! In all fairness, I’d probably be as easily led in this instance as well…

The very first chocolate bar.

The first chocolate bar had to have been developed somewhere, and you can thank Jason Fry for it. 1847 was the year, which means we have been enjoying ‘chocolately’ delights for 170 years now.

Death by chocolate…Almost.

Thanks to historic papers that reared their head in 2012, a Nazi plot to kill Sir Winston Churchill during the Second World War has been revealed! Adolf Hitlers’ bomb makers coated explosive devices within a thin layer of rich dark chocolate, which was then packaged in expensive wrapping. The Germans planned to use secret agents to place the bars amongst other luxury items that were taken into important meetings, and the lethal chocolate bars were explosive enough to kill anyone within a few metres. The evil plan was foiled, however, when British spies discovered the chocolate being made. They tipped off MI5’s most senior intelligence chief, Lord Victor Rothschild, and that was thankfully the end of that.

A blonde chocolate bar?

We all know about milk, dark and white chocolate, but what you probably weren’t aware of is that there’s a fourth variety: blonde chocolate! Yes, you did read that correctly. Blonde chocolate is actually caramelized white chocolate and was founded and created as recently as 2006 by Valrhona. It’s since gone from a well-kept industry secret to a mainstream delight, but I’m not happy about the fact that I’m yet to try it…

Which is your favourite chocolate fact, or do you have any good ones of your own that you’d like to share? Be sure to let me know in the comments below! There’s few of us here at Coinadrink who don’t like chocolate…

The post Death by chocolate bar? ‘Blonde’ chocolate? Five interesting facts on National Chocolate week! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/national-chocolate-week

Acorns Children’s Hospice – Just how far does their support extend?

We always love hearing about updates to our chosen charities that we support. Acorns Children’s Hospice provide care and support to life limited and life threatened children and their families, within three hospices situated around the West Midlands. In the past year their support has extended to over 870 children and more than 1,140 families, but they need the continued support of the public in order to carry on. In fact, the charity require nearly £10m every year just to operate! That’s a lot of money…

It’s hard to believe that 2018 is nearly out, but what that does mean is that it’s almost time for our annual customer care survey. For years now we have been donating £5 for every customer care survey we receive back, and we’re hopeful of donating another healthy amount for 2018. The customer care survey’s also help us to improve our service to our customers, by identifying areas that need improving as to enhance the customer experience.

Acorns Children’s Hospice are an excellent organisation that we have always been proud to support!

The post Acorns Children’s Hospice – Just how far does their support extend? appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/acorns-childrens-hospice

National Customer Service Week – Time for us to shine!

Part of my role here at Coinadrink is manning our social media platforms and last week I noticed something that really caught my attention. One of our followers tweeted that this week was National Customer Service Week, an element of our business that we really believe sets us apart from the competition. Of course, then, I just had to get us on board with the trend. 99% of our customers say that they would recommend us, which says it all…

Service that exceeds customer expectations.

It goes without saying that providing a solid level of customer service is vital and it can make or break a company. The thing is, we go beyond that ‘solid’ level. I’ve been at Coinadrink for nearly two years now, and the lengths that we go to never ceases to amaze me. We consistently push the boundaries of what’s possible for our customers and we endeavour to ensure that all of our employees hold the same values in customer service. Only then can we provide our customers with a better experience.

When we say we can make vending work for your business, we mean it, and it goes beyond using our knowledge and experience to make our initial recommendations. Customer service often extends to aspects that you can’t see and there’s certainly a lot that goes on behind the scenes here. I should know, because I’ve seen it first-hand.

Service is often what you can’t see…

We believe that there is no limit to the potential of our staff and each and every person is placed on a continual training plan that is closely monitored. We only send engineers and operators to your machine if they have the required experience, in order to help ensure of a first time fix. Anyone can request further training even if it hasn’t been identified that they need it, emphasising that everyone connected to Coinadrink goes the extra mile.

Our IT team developed bespoke software that has been tuned to the way we operate. Our Customer Related Management System organises our customer care calls, which stem from our dedicated customer care team, though it is CIPS that really enables you to enjoy the benefits of vending in the workplace. Standing for ‘Continuous Improvement of Performance’ (you’re smarter than me if you knew that already…), helps us to be proactive rather than reactive in the eyes of customer service.

In short, CIPS helps us to identify any interruption to your service and take the appropriate steps to put it right. Issues may even be highlighted before the customer knows about them, and could identify whether an employee needs extra training, support or possibly even a manufacturer error. Everything is reported back to us in real time and discussed at the weekly quality meetings, so you can be sure that your vending experience is as hassle free as possible.

More than just a vending company.

Whilst we have never claimed to be the cheapest vending operator out there, we believe that you cannot put a price on quality and holding the ISO 9001 accreditation shows that our efforts are consistently recognised. You may think of vending as hot drinks, snacks or food, but what makes it a success is a lot, lot more.

That’s why we have always considered ourselves to be ‘more’ than just a vending company…

The post National Customer Service Week – Time for us to shine! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/national-customer-service-week

Hot drinks to help you handle the pressure of Lord Sugar!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that The Apprentice is back on our TV screens from tomorrow, Wednesday 3^rdOctober.

Lord Sugar and co will again start the ball rolling to find his next apprentice, or two if last year is anything to go by, with the contestants competing in a series of business related challenges for the grand prize.

I live a very sheltered life when it comes to reality television, so I’m not going to pretend that I’ll be watching Series 13 with a great deal of enthusiasm. However, I have managed to identify a growing link between the nature of our business and the BBC based show. And I want to share that with you…

“When we looked into how coffee affects productivity, we found evidence to suggest that drinking coffee can have positive effects on mood, memory, alertness, well-being and energy. Obviously all of these traits can positively affect productivity in the workplace,” says Robert Deans who is the founder and director of the coffee tasting club.

Without wishing to bang on about the same thing, having a hot drink, most notably coffee, at work really does boost productivity. It’s no wonder, then, that some of the best business decisions stem from a mug or two.

How many times do you see the stars from The Apprentice come together for a challenge over a hot drink? It’s a lot now you think about, isn’t it? And there’s the reason why.

Even in the Bridge Café, or the ‘Losers Café’ as it’s otherwise known, sees those dismissed come together and engage. It’s quite comical to see the team arguing amongst themselves or blaming each other, in fact it’s probably the only time I actually watch it, but what’s consistent throughout is they do so over a cup of ‘something’.

It’s unlikely that your role sees you working under Lord Sugar, nor is it likely that you’re being filmed for BBC with each passing moment (imagine that!) but the same applies with the average you and me in the workplace. We all crave a hot drink.

Even as I write this I’m doing so over a cappuccino. Most of us don’t think too much about why it is a cup of coffee makes us feel better, but what we do know is that caffeine is often the key ingredient for a higher work ethic at work.

Which hot drink would you trust to see you through the stresses and strains of working under Lord Sugar?

The post Hot drinks to help you handle the pressure of Lord Sugar! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/Lord-Sugar

MacMillan Coffee Morning – Delicious goodies for a great cause.

This years’ MacMillan Coffee Morning has come and gone but what a morning it was. In fact, it was so good that we extended it over both the Thursday and Friday! Colleagues at Coinadrink excelled themselves with a terrific display of delicious goodies: I only wish I was there to see it myself! Without wishing to blow our own trumpet, Coinadrink and charity work go hand in hand and we managed to raise a total of £80! It’s clear our staff pulled through once again for such a fantastic organisation.

Just look at how great our coffee morning looked last week!

Just like with previous years, we hosted the coffee morning in our showroom and it looked great with the flags, bunting and banners that MacMillan provided us with. The highlight, however, was on the cakes and bakes. I’d have loved to have tried everything that was on display and seeing the photos from last week makes me wish I’d selected a different week for my holiday! Alongside our range of authentic hot drinks, it was certainly a morning full of premium refreshments…

Did you host a coffee morning this year? If so tell us how it went in the comments below: we’d love to hear from you!

 

The post MacMillan Coffee Morning – Delicious goodies for a great cause. appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/coffee-morning

Do you remember our last MacMillan Coffee Morning?

As we’re gearing up for the latest MacMillan Coffee Morning scheduled for today and tomorrow, I just wanted to issue a little throwback to last years’ efforts. One year ago today saw our staff join the rest of the world with our own little coffee morning and boy was it a good one! Our staff brought out their inner Mary Berry’s and Jamie Oliver’s to bake a delicious assortment of goodies, all of which were displayed in our showroom.

Talking of the showroom, it was barely recognisable what with the bunting and flags that MacMillan kindly provided for us in our welcome pack. The team did an excellent job taking time to decorate, and as it turned out I was a lot better at that side of things than I was at baking cakes!

We managed to raise £100 that day. A terrific effort by everyone involved. Coinadrink has long supported MacMillan Cancer Support and we actively look to play our part where we can. I’m confident that this years’ event will be even better than last years’, so make sure you keep checking back to see our baking efforts and to see how much we managed to raise!

The post Do you remember our last MacMillan Coffee Morning? appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/macmillan-coffee-morning-2017

Hot Drinks from Coinadrink. Benefits you can feel.

Whilst I quite enjoy certain aspects of autumn, there’s no denying that the cooler conditions aren’t well received by the majority of others. Admittedly, Storm Ali isn’t helping the cause, and a battering of wind and rain serves as an unwelcome reminder that the summer is very much over for another year. The dark mornings are depressing and I’ve already began to notice my colleagues at Coinadrink seek refuge in a hot drink before they start the day. And there’s a very good reason for that.

It’s all in your head…

The enjoyment in hot drinks in fact stems from the mind. Whilst there is an element of truth in hot drinks warming us up, a piping hot cup of tea or cappuccino won’t actually raise your body temperature to a noticeable level. You only believe it is. Jeremy Smith, an internist at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, says this could be because of the ‘placebo effect’. “You feel warmer because you think the drink is supposed to warm you. Your mouth is among the most sensitive parts of your body and the hot liquid in that sensitive area gives you the impression that you are heating up.”

Tied with the stimulating effect of caffeine, perhaps it’s a combination of the two as to why we crave one in the morning? Either way, the fact that it’s a mental benefit emphasises what we’re getting at when we say our services can improve your wellbeing. The way a hot drink makes you feel is something that you cannot put a price on, especially when it boosts the productivity of your workforce.

It’s all too easy for fatigue to set in during the day. Hot drinks machines from Coinadrink get your employees on the right path and this time of the year is the perfect opportunity to provide them with something they need.

The post Hot Drinks from Coinadrink. Benefits you can feel. appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/coinadrink-hot-drinks

Classic chocolate bars that are sadly no more…

Last week’s ‘Featured Friday’ post shows just how many chocolate bars us Brits are able to indulge in whenever we like. That’s great, but no amount of Snickers’, Galaxies’ or Twirl’s can make up for the bars that are sadly no longer with us. This week’s ‘Thursday Throwback’ takes a tasty trip down memory lane to revisit eight classic chocolate bars that have been discontinued. Tissues at the ready please…

Taz

I’ll never forget heading into the newsagent after school and spending about 15p on one of these! Freddo’s classic grizzly cousin added caramel to delicious Cadbury milk chocolate and the only downside to Taz was how small they were! At least we can be thankful that Cadbury had the decency to replace Taz with the caramel Freddo.

Snaps

Okay this may not be a chocolate bar as such, but they were delicious all the same! Cadbury managed to develop ‘chocolate pringles’ with Snaps and these thin and crisp delights arrived in five luscious flavours – Milk Chocolate, Hazelnut, Caramel, Mint and Orange. Why were they ever pulled from the shelves is what I’d like to know…

KitKat Caramac

I needed a bit of help from my colleagues with this one because I can’t say I remember the Caramac. It turns out it was extremely popular. Crispy KitKat wafers that are still available today were intertwined with creamy caramel chocolate, and only makes you wonder why they discontinued such a delicious sounding product…

Taz

I’ll never forget heading into the newsagent after school and spending about 15p on one of these! Freddo’s classic grizzly cousin added caramel to delicious Cadbury milk chocolate and the only downside to Taz was how small they were. At least we can be thankful that Cadbury had the decency to replace Taz with the caramel Freddo…

Snaps

Okay this may not be a chocolate bar as such, but they were delicious all the same! Cadbury managed to develop ‘chocolate pringles’ with Snaps and these thin and crisp delights arrived in five luscious flavours – Milk Chocolate, Hazelnut, Caramel, Mint and Orange. Why were they ever pulled from the shelves is what I’d like to know…

Toffo

Who remembers these, then? Again, they’re not strictly a chocolate bar, but I reckon they were popular enough to make the list. I never tried them personally, but the chewy toffees were enough to make your teeth stick together right up until 2008, when they were sadly discontinued.

Wispa Mint

I had to research this, but apparently the Wispa we know and love today isn’t a recent addition. It was actually brought back from the dead along with Wispa Gold, but sadly Wispa Mint never made a reappearance. The classic green wrapper housed a delicious bubbly mint chocolate bar that was probably very similar to Aero, so at least we have something to remember it by.

Snow Flake

I couldn’t go without mentioning at leastone variety of white chocolate! To develop the snow flake, Cadbury took the white chocolate from Dream and wrapped it inside their milk chocolate. It’s a shame that Cadbury and other manufacturers didn’t cotton on to just how much we all loved white chocolate, because there’s very few cases of it still around today.

Five Centres

How many of you remember Fry’s Five Centres from 1992? They first launched in 1924, surely making them one of the oldest chocolate bars ever. They had a good run, but I bet there’s a few of you out there who crave the random nature of Five Centres again. Would it be raspberry, coffee, lime, blackcurrant or orange?

So there you are. Which ones do you miss the most, or is there one that you think I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments below!

The post Classic chocolate bars that are sadly no more… appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/classic-chocolate-bars

We’ve been selected as a finalist in the Black Country Chamber Awards!

It’s not every day you’re selected as a finalist in an awards entry, is it? You may have noticed on our social media platforms that we entered the Black Country Chamber Awards a few months back for the Customer Commitment Award and now we’re thrilled to say that our efforts have so far paid off!

It wasn’t a straightforward entry, either. I wrote it, but it was a team effort that saw our entry get passed between numerous departments to ensure our customer care efforts got the recognition they deserved. There really is so much we do for our customers, from our bespoke Customer Related Management System to our industry leading response times. We had to condense all of the information into the specified word counts and that wasn’t an easy task.

You can imagine, then, how happy we were to have been notified of our success last week!

The awards evening will be hosted at the Wolverhampton Racecourse on Friday 9^th November between 6:45pm and 1am and we are up against two other companies for the award. It’s a privilege to have been selected as a finalist and testament to the lengths we go to for our customers.

We will be sure to update you as to how we get on in November!

The post We’ve been selected as a finalist in the Black Country Chamber Awards! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/black-country-chamber-awards-finalist

Can you guess the Britain’s favourite chocolate bar?

Ah, chocolate. It’s the most popular sweet treat in the world. It is believed that people around the world consume more than 3 million tons of cocoa beans every year, to which most are consumed here in Europe and in the United States. We all have our own personal favourites but some are more favourable than others. So, what do you think is Great Britain’s favourite chocolate bar? We’ll give you a clue. It’s not Snickers.

You’re racking your brains now trying to think what it could be, right? Sure, everyone loves a Mars Bar, but if that’s your guess then you’d be wrong. Likewise for those of you guessing KitKat, Bounty, Twix, Aero and Crunchie. Can you think of any more or do you give in?

I’ll tell you anyway. According to a study by VoucherCodes, Britain’s most loved chocolate bar is none other than the original Cadbury Dairy Milk! It sounds boring but it does make sense. Snickers may be a popular choice but if you don’t like or are allergic to peanuts then you won’t eat it. Similarly with Bounty. The vast majority of chocolate bars around contain something, which means it won’t be favourable with absolutely everyone. Cadbury Dairy Milk contains just the chocolate that we all know and love, so you can understand why it’s so popular. According to the survey, chocoholics make their way through 22 bars of it per person every year and 1317 over the course of their lifetime! For me you can’t go wrong with it, though I’d personally choose a Double Decker over anything else!

What’s your favourite chocolate bar and where would you rank Cadbury Dairy Milk in your ‘chocolate bar list’?

The post Can you guess the Britain’s favourite chocolate bar? appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/Britains-favourite-chocolate-bar

“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” – Oscar Wilde.

Well, the summer season certainly feels like a distant memory now, doesn’t it? After what seems like months and months of scorching temperatures and blue skies, the classic British conditions are back with a bang! I must admit I don’t mind autumn, what with the crisp air, bonfires and an exciting feel of Christmas that’s fast approaching. William Cullen Bryant once said that “Autumn is the year’s last, loveliest smile” and whilst many of us don’t share his enthusiasm, there is still lots to look forward to.

A quick look out of our office window and the sharp change in season is there for all to see. Autumn is strongly considered to be the ‘prettiest’ of the four and leaves consisting of red, orange, yellow and more have already begun to decorate the cars and ground below. The air is fresh, too. I love the summer, don’t get me wrong, but the stuffy air often leaves a lot to be desired. In contrast, walking into work now is a much nicer chore, and I’m not reaching for the water cooler the moment I get through the door. In fact, the only time the air is filled with a palpable substance is during bonfire night, but I don’t mind that. I don’t even mind the smell of smoke that seems to linger on your clothes for weeks to come. Then again, I do love bonfire night. Maybe you don’t.

I’ll tell you one thing that I do notice when walking into work, though: the hot drinks machine back in constant action. The water cooler took the brunt of the summer admirably, now the book has been passed back over again. I like that. The Latte out of the Flavia 500 behind reception is fantastic (I’m not one for strong coffee) and the quality of the drinks will serve us all well as we creep towards the winter. Because nobody wants to be heading off site for refreshments when there’s snow and ice on the ground do they?

So yes, I may be in the minority here but I do actually like autumn. What about you? What are your favourite things about autumn? If you don’t like the fact that summer has gone, is your business prepared for the colder conditions?

The post “And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” – Oscar Wilde. appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/autumn