© Hemedia
A vegetable vending machine is proving a big hit in a city notorious for high rates of child obesity and heart attack deaths.
The machine, only the second of its kind in Scotland, has been installed in Dundee’s Overgate Centre. It allows shoppers to pay between £3-£5 for a selection of locally-sourced produce, including bags of potatoes and mixed vegetable boxes. According to a report inThe Scotsman, the day after it was unveiled, shoppers had emptied some of the compartments.
The machine was created by the Grewar family, owners of East Ardler Farm outside Blairgowrie. They launched Grewar Farm Vending as a new way of selling fresh fruit and vegetables. The only other vending machine is on their farm.
So far, it has been a hit with shoppers who live in Dundee, which was last year crowned the worst city in Scotland for child obesity. Shocking statistics found that one in five primary one pupils were overweight, obese or severely obese. It is believed that an unhealthy diet was a large factor contributing to the figures. It was also discovered that Dundee was among the top 10 worst areas in the UK for heart health, with more than 250 deaths coronary heart disease every year.
Pete Grewar, owner of the farm, said: “It’s a new venture but an exciting one. We’ve had a vending machine at the bottom of the farm road for two months and it has been very popular, but it is a quiet road so we thought we would try it somewhere with a bit more footfall and the Overgate were very keen.
Rachel Neary, marketing executive at the Overgate Centre, said: “We were approached by the farm and thought it was an interesting and unusual idea. It’s the only place in the centre where you can buy fresh produce, and it’s local so we know exactly where it came from, even down to the specific field. The furthest away the food comes from is 15 miles. It’s great.”
Source: The Scotsman
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024