East of England Co-op has introduced a self-service smoothie machine at its Chelmsford store.
Launched on 21 October in partnership with juice machine company iSqueeze, the Smoodi machine prepares smoothies in around 60 seconds, blending frozen fruit with water without requiring a conventional blender, ice, or manual cleaning. All customers have to do is select a plastic cup with their chosen flavour from a nearby fridge, place it in the machine, and wait.
Customers can choose from six flavours, including Strawberry & Banana, Tropical, Green Matcha, Mango Lassi, Very Berry, and Choco Boost. According to the retailer, the 400ml drinks are all vegan-friendly and free from nuts and allergens.
The launch of the US-developed Smoodi system expands the co-op retailer’s ‘food-to-go’ offering.
“At the East of England Co-op, product innovation has always been a core priority for us,” said chief commercial officer Simon Dryell. “So, it’s great to be able to invest in a system that directly benefits the community when it comes to both convenience and healthy eating.”
Elias Ebert, managing director of iSqueeze, added that the partnership addressed demand for freshly prepared smoothies that customers could make themselves using self-service technology.
In a statement, East of England said it would monitor how the machine performs, with a view to potentially expanding the service to other food stores in the future.
