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A cool new concept in beverage vending uses pouches to mix drinks in situ—offering freshly made drinks for consumers and vastly reduced restocking and maintenance for machine owners and operators. With the PouchLink system, which was designed and developed by UK-based WaterWerkz, machines can hold up to 2,000 interlinked resealable, spouted pouches of varying sizes that are filled on demand, using filtered main water and flavoured syrups. Not only does this innovative design promise decreased stocking, storage and transportation costs associated with machines that vend bulky pre-filled cans or bottles, but it’s environmentally sound as well. In fact, the system boasts the lowest “food mile” rating of any vended packaged cold drink. Moreover, just-in-time flash chilling reduces energy consumption by as much as 80% compared to what’s required to refrigerate beverages in traditional vending machines. WaterWerkz is launching its own brand of juice-based drinks under the brand name Froobee, designed to meet new health standards of UK schools. With so much going for it, PouchLink may well revolutionize beverage vending as we know it—especially considering potential enhancements, such as offering customers the novelty of creating their own distinct mixes (and even programming their mobiles to order their signature blends for them!). Good time to jump on board this hot new vending venture? Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen