Shrewsbury-based Planet Doughnut has unveiled a doughnut vending machine allowing fans to buy its sweet treats at any time, day or night.
Positioned outside the firm’s bakery on Battlefield Industrial Estate, the vending machine is stocked with individually boxed doughnuts including bestsellers and limited editions, as well as branded merchandise such as a Cornishware mug.
The concept originated from Planet Doughnut’s desire to sell its products without the need for traditional bricks-and-mortar locations. The business made the decision to close all of its stores in 2024, opting to move to a wholesale operation which sees its doughnuts blast frozen for delivery.
“Following the closure of Planet Doughnut stores in the local area, we were keen to ensure customers could still enjoy our doughnuts fresh from the bakery,” Alice Turnbull, head of marketing, tells British Baker. “This initiative also supports a new franchise opportunity, designed for wholesale partners who wish to offer our products without the need for a large, fully branded retail space.”
The vending machine was purpose-built to accommodate the exact dimension of Planet Doughnut’s individual boxes, operating a carefully controlled internal temperature to maintain product quality. An integrated system gently guides each box along designated channels into a holding compartment ensuring the doughnuts remain flat at all times, and “significantly reducing the risk of damage”.
Doughnut vending machines could become a familiar site across the UK as Planet Doughnut is already in discussions with potential partners including theme parks, holiday parks, and other leisure and amusement venues. For now though, the focus is on gathering key data, including machine performance, customer purchasing behaviour, and bestselling products.
Turnbull notes that the response from customers so far has “surpassed our expectations” with queues frequently forming in the car park. “With a capacity of up to 150 doughnuts, demand has remained consistently high, requiring us to restock directly from the bakery up to three times per day to ensure availability during peak periods,” she adds.
Planet Doughnut is set for further growth after it was fully acquired by the Delves family last year. Since then, it has invested £25,000 in a new product development kitchen at its production bakery which acts as a creative hub for recipe development and product innovation, with the team keen to explore new techniques, ingredients and formats.
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