The London Fire Brigade Partners with Vending Sense

A Sustainable Micromarket Solution

The London Fire Brigade is the fire and rescue service for London, the capital of the United Kingdom. It was formed by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act 1865, under the leadership of superintendent Eyre Massey Shaw. The non-uniformed and non-operational staff are based in the headquarters in Southwark where the London Fire Brigade was operating with a contract catering solution serving a limited range of hot and cold food and beverages.

Business Challenge

The contract catering solution wasn’t flexible in special dietary requirements or healthier options. As meals were generally prepared for lunchtime hours, it meant that meals were not readily available during off-peak hours. Therefore, this left the control staff, non-uniformed and non-operational staff at a disadvantage as they have irregular shift patterns and don’t consume food and drink during typical breakfast and lunchtimes. It was evident that London Fire Brigade was managing a costly, under-utilized contract catering space which became lifeless with the arrival of COVID-19, meaning staff on site were unable to utilize the canteen.

London Fire Brigade had to consider their catering options to tackle these challenges as they questioned the usage and range of options of their current catering solution for the business moving forward. This sparked discussions between London Fire Brigade and Vending Sense to overcome their current challenges and provide a refreshed Micro-market solution.

The Solution

After positive discussions with the London Fire Brigade, Vending Sense was selected as the supplier to install and operate a Micro-market solution in place of their existing contract catering setup. Converting to a Micro-market solution means the eatery area becomes easy to manage and hassle-free.

Both parties worked collaboratively to ensure all client and staff requirements were considered before the final design solution was agreed upon. In conclusion, the agreed Micro-market solution included two fridges for fresh foods and cold beverages, four-level shelving units for snacks, two industrial microwaves, and two award-winning Coffetek Vitro X3 Coffee Machines with a self-scan till, cashless and contactless ready via a Nayax payment system.

What Did We Achieve?

The successful outcome of our partnership with London Fire Brigade, with a fully managed micromarket solution, saw a huge employee uptake and increase in overall satisfaction

Provided London Fire Brigade a sustainable solution with fair-trade coffee and 95% of products used to be plastic-free

Our Micro-market solution has saved London Fire Brigade over £1,000,000 across five years

With a tight deadline to be achieved, Vending Sense successfully installed the Micro-market solution within the given timeframe

We Value Sustainability

London Fire Brigade is protecting people and places every day, but they’re also looking after everyone’s future, too. With their successful sustainability record, it’s important to provide a sustainable micro-market solution to continue making positive commitments towards a sustainable future.

Our ethically sourced fresh coffee beans served in our biodegradable cups are proof of our commitment to maintaining a sustainable solution for our customers and making it easier for employees to reduce their environmental impact. Our cups allow employers, their employees, and guests to enjoy delicious hot beverages in the knowledge that they can be disposed of responsibly.

We are an environmentally conscious business hence why we are proud members of the Rainforest Alliance. The alliance consists of businesses across many industries that collaborate to make sustainable business the norm. We’ve ensured that the coffee beans we supply meet the required standards to be certified.

Interested in a Micro-market?

Are you looking to replace your catering set up with a fully managed, sustainable solution? Our Micro-market may be the perfect choice for our organisation. Feel free to contact us.