Join us at our special Black Country Business Festival event on Monday 13th May!

We recently announced that we will be taking part in this years’ Black Country Business Festival by attending the Spring Exhibition. In addition to this, we can now confirm we’re hosting our very own event which will allow visitors to view our exciting new showroom and learn more about how our vending services can benefit their business. This will take place within 3 separate slots on Monday 13th May, so make sure you save the date and book your FREE place! 

Welcoming our brand new showroom!

Work on our new showroom was recently completed and we’re thrilled by the end result. A long line of tabletop and floor standing vending machines complement our very own Micro Market and all our equipment is displayed in a modern, open space that makes it perfect for visitors. As explained when the maintenance work first began, we feel our new showroom will better convey the advanced nature of our business, as well as how our services can work for your business, so don’t miss out on your chance to come and learn more at absolutely no cost to you. Simply click here to select your preferred time slot and wait for us to confirm.

What is the Black Country Business Festival?

Our showroom event is part of the annual, two week Black Country Business Festival. Regarded as the region’s largest business event, the Business Festival incorporates hundreds of business events to showcase all that’s great about Black Country businesses. Events of all descriptions are staged to help businesses grow and challenge themselves. This years’ festival runs from the 13th to the 24th of May, so our showroom event is right at the very beginning!

Understand how vending CAN work for your business.

All of our services stem around the wellbeing workforce, an underestimated aspect of your workplace that can have a direct impact on the productivity of your workforce. Coming to see us at our special event will help you understand why we’re ‘more’ than just a vending company, with tailored advice that makes vending work for your individual requirements. Our cutting edge equipment is extremely flexible, so you’ll be able to learn more about the best option for your business.

Places are rather limited, so don’t miss out on your free opportunity to help boost your workplace. Book your free place here!

The post Join us at our special Black Country Business Festival event on Monday 13th May! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/2019/03/join-us-at-our-special-black-country-business-festival-event-on-monday-13th-may/

We’re finalists once again, this time in the Express and Star Business Awards!

We could get used to this. For the third time in less than a year, Coinadrink has been selected as a finalist for one of our recent award entries! This time it’s for the Express and Star Business Awards, which means all three of our finalist nominations have been for three different, prestigious corporations, the other two being the Black Country Chamber and The Vendies respectively.

What did we enter the Express and Star Business Awards?

So what’s this latest one all about? A short while ago we entered the ‘Best Use of Technology’ category as part of the awards, which we believed was perfect for our organisation. Reading through the criteria, the judges wanted to see how we had implemented new technology into the business and how this had improved processes and enhanced customer satisfaction to name just a couple of the benefits.

Why we decided to enter…

Coinadrink has always pushed the boundaries of what’s possible for our customers through innovation so we took the opportunity to enter. The early days of our business saw us partner with specialist and respected software companies, though over the years we have introduced bespoke systems for all aspects of our business that have been developed to fit the way we work. This has been key to staying ahead of the competition, something that is emphasised through our ‘more than just vending’ slogan.

Our success story.

Much of our technological innovations have considerably enhanced our customer service efforts. For example, our Customer Related Management system stores our entire customer base and enables us to stay in contact and arrange customer care appointments, yet differs from our competitors because it was designed by our in-house IT team. Each department within the business was closely consulted prior to its development, so it works best for everyone who will need to use it.

Along with other neat additions such as fitting QR codes to our machines and preparing to introduce the ‘My Coinadrink’ portal to current customers, we had a lot to shout about in our entry. It’s great that the judges at the Express and Star Business Awards appreciated our efforts and selected us as a finalist, so we’ll be sure to let you know how we get on!

The post We’re finalists once again, this time in the Express and Star Business Awards! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/2019/03/express-and-star-business-awards-vending-company

A bizarre taste of Japan with KitKat’s Green Tea bar…

The KitKat Matcha Green Tea bar is going to be the newest addition to Nestle’s collection. Considering the adventurous chocolate bar was successful for 15 years in Japan, eight European countries are now set to see what all the fuss is about. And the UK is one of those eight! Some of the others are Italy, Switzerland and Germany to name a few. Carry on reading for a greater insight to the matcha powdered treat that Nestle have provided for us… 

So, what is the fuss about KitKat Green Tea?

The extraordinary matcha green tea KitKat is one of the many 350 weird and wonderful flavours provided in Japan. Some of these flavours consist of baked sweet potato, melon, cheese, chestnut and apple vinegar! Who would have thought vinegar would be associated with chocolate? All these flavours have been developed over 15 years and distributed widely across the country. If successful, the delicious treat will be carried over to other countries and therefore trialled outside the UK as well!

The KitKat is available in two, three and four-finger bars and has a subtle hint of Matcha powder which adds and exciting, unexpected hint of flavour when taking your first mouthful. The colour of this treat comes from the Matcha tea within it.

What is “Matcha”?

Matcha originates from China and has been in Japanese culture since the 14^thcentury and is known for the growth of its leaves. This is because they are grown in shady conditions from the plant camellia sinensis. Matcha tea means to have ‘powdered’ tea which was traditionally used as a type of medicine which was used to treat people when ill. Matcha can also be incorporated into food and has a great source of caffeine within it.

To find out more information regarding Matcha visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matcha.

Are you brave enough to try it?

A green tea flavoured chocolate bar is enough to make you turn your head in disgust. We know. But there must be some method in the madness. China have sworn by Green Tea KitKat for 15 years and there must have been some demand for Nestle to introduce the bar in eight European countries. If you try it, you might just like it. Who knows whether we’ll be stocking it in our vending machines and Micro Markets one day?

The post A bizarre taste of Japan with KitKat’s Green Tea bar… appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/2019/03/kitkat-green-tea

Cadbury Darkmilk bars coming to a Micro Market near you!

Ask some people what their favourite chocolate bar is and you’ll probably receive a wide range of answers. The fact remains that there’s now more to choose from than there ever has been before and our preferred choice is truly unique to us. Now, though, there’s another one to consider. Brand new Cadbury Darkmilk is coming very soon, and those with a Micro Market should be particularly excited…

Coming soon to a Micro Market near you!

The Micro Market has always been the go-to place for premium refreshments and it’ll soon be adding another enticing product to its menu. Cadbury Darkmilk will soon be on offer in our Micro Markets, and the flexible nature of the market means you can therefore try it whenever your mood requests.

Great news for our current Micro Market customers, then. For those who haven’t yet experienced the Micro Market, this is just another thing you’re missing out on! Ideal for larger businesses in remote locations, the Micro Market is a self-service convenience store for your workplace laden with a wide range of refreshments.

You can read more about our Micro Market and its benefits here…

So, why is Cadbury Darkmilk such a big deal?

Are you someone who likes both dark and milk chocolate? With Cadbury Darkmilk, you have the best of both worlds! Marketed by Cadbury as ‘both rich and creamy’, the brand are hoping that it will follow their previous chocolate bars in being incredibly popular.

In the increasing demand for ‘pure’ chocolate bars, Darkmilk features a higher cocoa content than the standard Dairy Milk option. Cadbury owner Mondelez describes the chocolate bar as having a more ‘grown-up’ taste than the standard Dairy Milk bar, and is made with 40% cocoa solids and 14% milk solids

Cadbury is one of the first major confectionary brands in the UK to add a standard dark milk chocolate option and follows the likes of Montezuma and Divine Chocolate in doing so.

Make sure you look out for it!

The post Cadbury Darkmilk bars coming to a Micro Market near you! appeared first on Coinadrink.

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

New KitKat Ruby now available in our Micro Markets!

Here at Express Refreshments we are proud to announce an exciting, new addition to our Micro Market selection: the new KitKat Ruby! The KitKat Ruby introduces a fourth variety of chocolate and we’re delighted that our Micro Market customers can now experience the refreshing tongue-tingling sensation.

What are Micro Markets and what are the benefits?

A Micro Market is an unmanned convenience store for the workplace, providing a wide range of premium refreshments for the working day and beyond. Coinadrink’s Micro Markets are best known as ‘Express Refreshments’ and we were proud to install the UK’s first in 2013! Payment is taken using an advanced cashless, self-service terminal which allows staff to have full accessibility and control when purchasing their products.

The simplicity Express Refreshments kiosks  a faster, more efficient way to provide for your employees. Simply choose your products, swipe your Express Refreshments card, scan your items and go! This eliminates the worry of carrying loose change and provides a secure, seamless transaction process. Your card can be topped up online, tracked and replaced if lost, without you losing any credit!

So, what is the KitKat Ruby?

The KitKat Ruby is the newest addition to the three existing flavours of chocolate that we all know as milk, white and dark. Now, though, this berry flavoured treat is here to steal the show! The chocolate bar is made from all-natural Ruby cocoa beans grown in West Africa and Latin America, from locations including Brazil, Ecuador and Ivory Coast. This develops a unique taste that should prove popular.

The KitKat Ruby is arguably one of the most exciting chocolate bars in recent memory, for it introduces a new variety of chocolate that has never been seen before. Just like with the other three variations, it’ll be interesting to see whether the Ruby cocoa bean receives a similar positive reputation as the others have done.

The post New KitKat Ruby now available in our Micro Markets! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/new-kitkat-ruby

Yes. We’re being serious. There really are 350 KitKat varieties in Japan!

For those who follow us on Twitter, you may have noticed our little poll that asked our followers just how many KitKat varieties there were in Japan. It may seem a strange question, but a good one nonetheless because the answer is simply staggering. As 58% of you correctly guessed, there were indeed over 200 variations of chocolate wafer bar in production. And as this title *ever so subtly* hints at, there’s actually 350 of them…

Unquestionable popularity.

Now we all love KitKat. Here in the UK, and according to an independent survey carried out by Ranker, it’s strongly believed to be the Nation’s favourite. Over 100,000 people voted for it, which is impressive given that our favourite chocolate bar is as unique to us as our fingerprint. But if you think us Brits love KitKat, that’s nothing for the love it receives on Japanese territory. Love that’s so strong, they’ve mixed almost every food and flavour you can think of with the popular candy bar. Some may so it ruins a classic. The Japanese would argue that KitKat is so great, it goes with almost anything. Soy Sauce KitKat anyone?

KitKat Flavours to make you look twice.

Admittedly, many of these have been limited edition flavours and therefore aren’t available completely when your taste buds desire. But if your taste buds are craving a bizarre surprise, Japan is the place to be. So maybe something to think about when planning your next holiday? Alongside Soy Sauce, the list is almost endless. Baked Potato, French Salt, Pumpkin, Apple and Vinegar, Melon with Mascarpone Cheese. Such varieties are ones that you’d expect most of the world to baulk at, but in a country that quite clearly sees KitKat as more than just a chocolate bar, you can’t help but be amused. Japan doesn’t just like KitKat. They obsess over it.

The story behind the KitKat love story…

How long has it been like this, though? Rowntrees introduced the much loved wafer bar to Great Britain in the 1930’s, but the love story in Japan had to wait until 1973 for it to begin, when the classic chocolate and wafer was introduced. It wasn’t until the turn of the millennium that such untoward flavours began to appear. It started with the rather underwhelming strawberry variant, when Nestle Japan saw a great opportunity to increase sales in a part of the world that was partial to rather unique snacks and foods. And boy was it popular. So much so, that Nestle kept on going. Since then, hundreds of different flavours have flew on – and off – the shelves in different parts of the country.

The sweet potato flavours, arguably one of the craziest, was inspired by the sweet potatoes grown in Okinawa. Hence, this is the region you’ll find it. Likewise, the Adzuki-Bean Sandwich bars are associated with the city of Nargoya where the sweet, toasted snack originated from. In any given year, there are believed to be 40 new varieties arriving. And believe it or not, it’s believed that every single one is popular.

Any that tickle your fancy?

It’s recently come to our attention that one of these wild flavours is making its way to Europe…including here in the UK. More on that soon, but why not comment below and tell us what you think – or what you’d like – it to be. And who knows. Maybe if we like it, we could soon have our own crazy, wonderful, KitKat obsession that makes its way to our vending machines?

The post Yes. We’re being serious. There really are 350 KitKat varieties in Japan! appeared first on Coinadrink.

source https://coin-a-drink.co.uk/2019/03/yes-were-being-serious-there-really-are-350-kitkat-varieties-in-japan/