Portals Paper.
Key Facts
600
Items purchased in the first fortnight of operation
90
Items in the Portals Paper fresh food range
About
Location
Overton
Category
Micro Market
Date
13 Oct 2021
Portals are a manufacturer of banknote and security paper, with over 300 years in the industry. On an annual basis they produce enough paper for 12 billion banknotes, 70 million passports and 60 million certificates.
The Challenge
Portals’ Overton site had relied on a manned catering solution to provide food and beverages to their on-site workforce throughout the week, with a range of hot meals, drinks and snacks supplied as part of their catering provision.
With the arrival of COVID-19, the on-site canteen was forced to close, leaving staff without an on-site option for food and beverages. As a 24 hour operation, the Portals team needed to have access to food and beverages 24/7 and with the site being situated in a rural Hampshire village, convenient access to high quality food and beverages from local shops is limited.
The Solution
An unmanned retail environment was identified as the ideal format for delivering food and beverages to Portals’ on-site staff in a cost-effective way and with reduced management requirements. Following a comprehensive process, Connect Vending was selected as the supplier to design, install and operate a Deli Café micro market in place of the existing catering setup.
Representatives from Portals and Connect Vending worked collaboratively to ensure all client and staff requirements were considered, with several design reviewed and amended before a final design was agreed. The final solution would include shelving for snacks, two fridges for cold drinks and fresh food, a Coffetek coffee machine and the necessary till and back-office technology.
The Deli Café is fantastic as it offers our staff a wide variety of food items, including vegan and gluten free options, and is easy to stay on top of when it comes to management.Peter Slade, Facilities Manager at Portals Paper
It would also include a comprehensive refitting and redesign of the canteen space to provide modern, spacious booths, tables and chairs, recycling and waste management areas, cup dispensers, a bank of microwaves and a dedicated hand sanitiser station. Installation took place in late July 2021, with the entire canteen space being updated with contemporary units, spacious shelving, LED lighting and a full graphic feature wall.
A market leading till terminal with fingerprint scanner, account-based payment functionality and a contactless payment system make the scanning and checkout process quick and easy. Following installation, Connect Vending’s service and maintenance agreement came into effect, with an operator visiting the Perfect Portals Micro Market at least three times per week to manage stock, clean equipment and ensure the general smooth running of the Deli Café.
As part of this agreement, Connect Vending’s expert engineers are also on hand to resolve any machine faults with the machines installed at the Deli Café.
We are delighted with how the Deli Café has been received by the Portals team and we are over the moon with the product of many weeks of hard work.Tom Lightfoot, Head of New Business Development at Connect Vending
This is an excellent example of how a Deli Café micro market can completely transform the way that employees interact with a food and beverage solution.