Celebrating 10 Years of Vending Sense: A Decade of Smarter Refreshments

Ten years ago, Vending Sense was founded with a simple belief: workplace refreshments should be better. Better coffee. Better choice. Better service. Better experiences for the people who keep businesses moving every day. From premium food solutions to coffee machines for offices, our mission has always been to improve workplace refreshment experiences.

Since 2016, we’ve been on a journey to raise the standard of workplace coffee, micro markets and refreshment solutions across the UK. What began as a mission to change how the coffee and refreshment market was perceived has grown into a business built around innovation, reliability and care for the workplace experience.

From day one, our goal has been to make great refreshments accessible to all. Mason Todd, Managing Director of Vending Sense says, “When we started in 2016, we knew customers deserved better. We set out to introduce a new standard in the industry.” That belief still guides everything we do today.

Some of our earliest customers played an important part in shaping that journey. London Business School became our first major customer, giving us the opportunity to prove what a service-led refreshment solution could deliver. Shortly after, we began working with Point72 and Depop, partnerships that helped build momentum in those early years and gave us the confidence to keep growing, innovating and raising expectations.

Supporting Workplaces Across the UK

Over the last decade, we’ve helped companies across the UK transform the way they provide food, drinks and coffee to their teams. Whether supporting enterprise, busy offices, hospitality, healthcare or education, we’ve always focused on making refreshments simple, efficient and enjoyable.

For employers, a strong refreshment solution is about more than convenience. It supports productivity, improves employee wellbeing and helps create workplaces where people feel valued. Access to quality coffee, fresh food and healthy snacks can make a real difference to the working day.

Sam Marra, Account Director of Vending Sense says, “We believe the best work happens when people come together in workplaces they genuinely want to be part of. Organisations that create those environments will have a real advantage in attracting and retaining talent. Great coffee may seem like a small detail, but it plays a powerful role in workplace happiness, connection and culture.”

That idea has become even more important as workplaces have evolved. Employees expect more from their environment, and businesses need solutions that are flexible, smart and easy to manage. Vending Sense has grown alongside those needs.

A Decade of Growth and Innovation

In 2016, we launched Hudson Coffee, a blend named after our founder’s son, symbolising our belief that every coffee should tell a story. It marked the beginning of our mission to bring better-quality coffee into workplaces and make everyday refreshment moments feel more meaningful.

By 2018, we began roasting in-house and introduced Shadow to expand our taste. It was a natural next step and, as we like to say, it just made sense. Bringing more control, quality and creativity into our coffee offering helped us deliver a better experience for our customers.

In 2019, we strengthened our commitment to reducing waste by donating surplus food through our partnership with FareShare. This was an important milestone in our journey, helping us ensure that good food could go further and make a positive impact beyond the workplace.

In 2020, while many industries stalled, we grew by 70% year-on-year. During a challenging time, we continued supporting critical workers across the NHS, logistics, manufacturing and other essential sectors, keeping teams refreshed when they needed it most.

Making Refreshments Smarter

As the needs of workplaces have changed, so have our solutions. In 2024, we launched SenseCare+ and ProductSupply+, bringing predictive service models, telemetry, consumables and flexible subscriptions together to make refreshment management even simpler.

These innovations have helped businesses streamline operations, reduce downtime and stay ahead of demand. For facilities managers and workplace teams, smarter technology means fewer disruptions, better stock control and a more reliable service for employees.

At the same time, our solutions have continued to support employee wellbeing. From premium coffee and healthier snacks to fresh food, micro markets and smart fridges, we help businesses create break areas that encourage people to pause, refuel and return to work feeling more energised.

Sustainability and Our Environmental Footprint

In 2025, we focused our efforts on sustainability and our environmental footprint. As part of this commitment, we partnered with Mozzo Coffee to roast our own Sense Coffee here in the UK at their 100% renewable energy roastery.

This partnership helped us take another step towards making our coffee more responsible, while continuing to deliver the quality and consistency our customers expect. It also reflects our belief that great workplace refreshments should not only taste good but do good too.

Our contribution was recognised by EcoVadis, marking an important milestone in our sustainability journey. Alongside this, we introduced a tree-planting initiative, planting one tree for every six bags of coffee sold. So far we have planted over 2500 trees globally- view our full environmental impact here: Environment and Social Impact. It is another way we are helping everyday refreshment choices create a positive impact beyond the workplace.

Giving Back and Looking Ahead

Community has always been part of our story. Recently we became the largest contributor to the Hendy Foundation, a charity supporting causes that make a real difference.

This last year we were also proud to be recognised as a Great Place to Work, a reflection of the culture, care and commitment of the people who make Vending Sense what it is today. We were also named in the top 10 of the EB100 awards, which recognise the best SME businesses in the UK. These achievements mark an important moment in our journey, celebrating not only our growth as a business but the team and values behind it.

These milestones reflect what Vending Sense has always stood for: better refreshments, better workplaces and a wider positive impact.

As we celebrate 10 years of Vending Sense, we’re proud of how far we’ve come. From our first coffee blends to smart workplace refreshment solutions, our journey has been shaped by our customers, our team and our belief that the small moments in the working day matter.

The next chapter is about continuing to innovate, continuing to support workplaces across the UK and continuing to make refreshments simple.

Because after 10 years, one thing is clearer than ever: it just makes sense.