Education
Westomatic has healthy, refreshing vending solutions, tailor made for schools
A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that children’s snacking habits can be influenced by imposing restrictions on food available during school hours. One way of restricting the amount of sugary snacks is to offer healthy options in school vending machines, such as raisins, nuts, seeds and yogurts.
Our Eat Smart chilled snack and drink machines can be stocked with a wide range of tasty healthy snacks. Some schools even stock the machines with freshly made snacks such as wraps and healthy sandwiches, made on their own premises.
The Eat Smart machines are custom branded versions of our highly popular SnackPoint and OTIS ranges, which have separate chilling zones and innovative temperature control, to ensure food and drinks are kept fresh and cool.
Read about the SnackPoint
The OTIS
A distinct lack of branding and large illuminated shop window makes the OTIS perfect for schools. With a capacity to hold up to 400 cans and bottles or 40 different types of drink in almost any shape, size or material, the OTIS can be filled with any combination of healthy beverages such as fruit juices, bottled water and smoothies. A novel moving dispense arm ‘plucks’ bottles from the shelf and delivers them to pupils or staff within a swift 10-12 seconds.
Read about the OTIS
Provide essential rehydration for pupils
Children should drink an average of 1.5-2 litres everyday, as dehydration has an adverse effect on mental performance and ability to learn. Water is the healthiest option, but based on the recommended guidelines, only a high capacity point of use water dispenser such as the Azure can cope with the excessive demand of establishments such as schools, colleges and universities.
Plumbed into the mains, the Azure filters water through a UV water sanitization system and in-built filters remove any impurities and unusual tastes for pure, fresh tasting water that pupils will love. The additional 500ml bottle-fill facility means pupils can refill bottles for a more environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic cups.
Read more about the Azure water dispenser
‘Westomatic’s machines have been a huge success. The pupils often purchase beverages from the OTIS and refill the bottles with water from the Azure. The ‘bank’ which includes; an OTIS, Solo Encore, Azure and SnackPoint machine (which we fill with healthy options such as dried fruit and nutritious cereal bars) provide an essential ‘before and after canteen hours’ service for pupils and teachers which helps to keep sales up’.
Karen Northway, Catering Manager, Torquay Grammar School for Girls in Devon
Case Study - Healthy Vending machines in Schools
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Energy saving in schools
Did you know?
The cost of energy in all UK schools is around £350M per annum.
Schools emit over 5 million tonnes of CO2/year, which is around 15% of total public sector emissions.
All Westomatic beverage vending machines are fitted with unique energy management systems.
For example, our Sigma vending machine could save you 280,320 watts per machine, per year. Or, to put it another way a saving of £290.40 in energy bills per machine over five years.*
*Measurements taken following EVA-EMP guidelines. Energy consumption based on 30 7oz drinks every hour over a 24 hour period.
