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Selecta
– changing tastes in education sector vending |
Selecta is the
UK’s leading vending services company, providing high quality
food and beverage services in a variety of sectors including
business and industry, healthcare, the public sector and
education.
Changing tastes and new government legislation surrounding food
and beverages in the education sector in recent years have
presented Selecta with the challenge of striking a balance
between meeting consumers’ requirements for traditionally
popular branded snacks and drinks, and offering healthier
alternatives in line with the latest guidelines. The company has
also introduced a variety of Fairtrade products to match
changing ethical requirements.
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Schools, colleges and universities
Selecta provides vending services at more than 200
primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities
in the UK in the UK. The company works closely with each
individual school, college or university to create a
vending solution that exactly fits their specific needs.
“As we are not tied to one single supplier, we are able
to tailor a vending solution to suit a college, school
or university’s requirements,” explains Selecta sales
and marketing director Jonathan Barr. |
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“To ensure that
our vending offer remains fresh, we liaise closely with each
site to gain feedback and check that we are continuing to
provide the products that students want. We update our offer at
each site on a quarterly basis.”
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Balanced Options
In response to growing demand for more healthy and
balanced food and beverage choices and consumers’
concern about the nutritional value and content of the
products they are purchasing, Selecta has devised
Balanced Options, a programme which sees a variety of
lighter alternatives available from the company’s
vending machines. It is the first initiative of its kind
to be implemented anywhere in the UK.
Schools,
colleges and universities |
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Selecta provides vending services at more than 200 primary and
secondary schools, colleges and universities in the UK in the
UK. The company works closely with each individual school,
college or university to create a vending solution that exactly
fits their specific needs.
“As we are not tied to one single supplier, we are able to
tailor a vending solution to suit a college, school or
university’s requirements,” explains Selecta sales and marketing
director Jonathan Barr.
For a snack to satisfy Balanced Options criteria, it must
contain 200 calories or less, no more than 6g of fat and 250mg
of sodium. Cold drinks must contain less than 5g of added sugar.
Healthy Drinks
for Schools
In Autumn 2006, Selecta launched its Healthy Drinks for Schools
scheme which saw all cold beverages that contained high levels
of added sugar removed from all of its school vending machines
and replaced with healthier alternatives. The move came a year
in advance of new Government regulations which required cold
drinks sold in schools to contain less than five per cent added
sugar which became compulsory in September 2007.
“For several years previously, we had been introducing
healthier products with no added sugar, 100 per cent juices and
milk drinks in several sectors through the Balanced Options
programme,” says Jonathan.
“These included
the workplace as well as public sites such as airports, shopping
centres and bus and railway stations. The initiative proved
extremely popular with customers so we felt that there was a
natural opportunity to develop a similar scheme for schools.”
Selecta trialled its Healthy Drinks for Schools scheme at
selected sites, replacing fizzy drinks in school vending
machines with a variety of plain waters, 100 per cent pure fruit
juices and milkshakes. The new drinks proved popular and the
range of products was introduced across the country in September
2006.
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Project Apple
Another initiative Selecta has developed and introduced in the
education sector is Project Apple – a unique consumer-led
vending concept featuring Selecta-branded can and bottle vending
machines. Project Apple gives the flexibility of offering a
variety of leading drinks brands which are not tied to any
single supplier, giving the consumer complete freedom of choice
on what they want to drink. Recognising changing customer
trends, Selecta can also offer a 100 per cent planogram of
bottle-vended products if required. Vending around
the clock
Vending in the university sector also now presents the challenge
of ensuring students have 24-hour access to a reliable, top
quality vending offer.
“At many of the universities, students are now permanently based
on site in halls of residence so there is a requirement for us
to provide vending services 24 hours a day,” explains Jonathan.
“An increase in the number of foreign students has also meant
that outside of term-time, there are still people on campus, so
we now have to ensure that our machines are operating all-year
round.” |
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Emerging trends
“Young adults are increasingly aware of the need to eat and
drink healthily,” says Jonathan. “For example, one of the most
interesting emerging trends in the education sector is the
growing popularity of bottled water, mainly because it is one of
the few products that can be taken into exams.
“Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet has never been more
important than in the current climate, especially for young
people. The Food Standards Agency recommends that people should
aim to cut down on their intake of foods containing added
sugars. Our Balanced Options and Healthy Drinks for Schools
initiatives encourage this approach by making it easier for
young people to make healthier choices.”
For more information on the vending services Selecta offers,
please contact our telesales department on
0121 746 9260.
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