There are two new vending machines in Manchester Arndale like no other the city has seen before. With bold pink and brown stripes catching the eye of passers-by as they rush through the bustling shopping centre, the Amura vending machines are already proving popular.
Forget cans of Coke, chocolate bars or bags of crisps. These vending machines sell six varieties of the same thing - cupcakes.
Sitting opposite Subway and around the corner from Aldi, the two huge touchscreens have been drawing shoppers' attention in since they were installed on Saturday (July 30). The machines have completely sold out on two occasions so far since being switched on, and as the Manchester Evening News went to check them out on Friday lunchtime two flavours were already out of stock.
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Manchester Arndale is only the second location to get an Amura vending machine, following on from the Bullring in Birmingham, and the company hopes to install more elsewhere soon. It is the brainchild of Tommy Coddington and Daniel Roberts, who came up with the idea of introducing artisan vegan cupcakes to the automated technology market in October 2020.
The products are baked elsewhere and brought to the vending machines, where they are restocked to keep items fresh and keep up with demand. There are six flavours to choose from - vanilla, chocolate, salted caramel, coffee, lemon and raspberry, and cookies and cream.
Each costs £3.50, or £3.75 for the cookies and cream variety, while there are discounts available for customers buying multiple items. Those prices mean the Amura cupcake is more expensive than you would find in a supermarket.
It is also slightly dearer than you would find at some of the city's independent businesses - such as Cocoa Cabana in Ancoats, where cupcakes cost £2.75, or Alex's Bakery on Deansgate, where the treats will set you back £2.80. There are some unique selling points to the Amura cupcake that could mean the extra money is well spent though.
Every cupcake is vegan - so no item is off the menu for the huge number of Mancunians who say no to animal products. And of course, there is the drama and excitement about the whole thing.
Having selected your cupcake on a touchscreen that will be second nature to anyone who has used a the devices in McDonald's in recent years, there is a short wait before your cupcake is ready to pick up from inside a box. The packaging looks like it has come from a fancy bakery rather than a vending machine, and while you can't see what's going on inside the technology, it's evident that your cake hasn't been dropped from a great height like items in vending machines of old.
Open up the box and the cupcake is perfectly formed, sat inside a paper case with its frosting and toppings intact. We tried the chocolate and salted caramel cupcakes - the former coming with a thick piece of solid chocolate on top of the frosting, while the latter included a caramel piece on top.
Both cupcakes tasted superb - and for any non-vegan diners like myself, you likely won't notice a difference. The texture of the cakes was good too - slightly on the firmer side for a cupcake, but not a problem.
It's easy to imagine the Amura machines will prove popular, particularly with kids, and the cupcakes are certainly nicer than what you would find in a standard vending machine. Time will tell whether it is the start of something bigger for automated technology.
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