It’s 10 p.m. and you’re hankering for a wedge of Bethmale from the French Pyrenees. Until recently, you’d be out of luck—but not anymore. Award-winning cheeses, charcuterie, and caviar are filling refrigerated vending machines in urban and rural areas in the US, making it easier for breweries, creameries, and cheese shops to assuage their customers’ desires for high-end snacking, any time of day or night.
A far cry from machines that drop M&M’s and Coca-Cola into your hands, these dispensaries are elevated. Some have screens displaying each product’s attributes and pairing suggestions, while others are retrofitted classics. Most are available 24/7, all are kept at an ideal temperature for freshness, and paying is simple with cash, credit, or a digital wallet. They’re also darlings of TikTok and Instagram. “A lot of people film the machines first, and they all cheer when their item comes down on the interior elevator,” says Michael Cavaniola of Cavaniola’s Gourmet in the Hamptons. No matter the design or location, the results are the same: Award-winning cheeses, charcuterie, and all the accoutrements, ready for the taking, at any hour.
COLUMBUS, OHIO
Patrons at Antiques on High and The Getaway Brewing Co. have more reason to linger over craft beer, wine, and cocktails. Vending machines filled with local faves—including Black Radish Creamery Dill and Garlic Seasoned Curds, Snowville Creamery White Cheddar, Crumbs Bakery Whole Grain Crackers, and Breedlove Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies—complement their pizza menus. The outlier in the machine? “Capri Sun juice pouches crush it!” general manager Jeff Flinton says. “Children love them, and adults buy them because they’re nostalgic.”
PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA
Imbibing at Thacher Winery or Tin City Cider is even more delicious with the introduction of Cured and Cultivated’s cheese and charcuterie vending machines. Each offers up to 40 delicacies, including hand-packed selections of cheeses and salumi, caviar, and sweets. Co-owner Anatoly Vorontsov collaborates with local producers like Central Coast Creamery and Alle-Pia Fine Cured Meats to create the best-selling sampler packs. “People travel here and want to try what’s specially made in the area,” he notes. “Our samplers give them that.”
PERRY, NEW YORK
East Hill Creamery’s 36-item vending machine is considered a landmark in Western New York, offering locals and tourists easy access to Alpine-style cheeses made from the milk of owner Gary Burley’s herd of 1,300 cows. “Our bestsellers are the 4-ounce packages of cheese cubes,” he notes. In addition to their entire line of cheeses, the machine also offers extras such as homemade candy and cheese crisps made from their Silver Lake tomme.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Coined culture’s “renegade cheesemaker,” Yoav Perry of Perrystead Dairy has cultivated a devoted following for his 24/7 vending machine that holds up to 225 items, including the dairy’s award-winning Intergalactic and iconic The Real Philly Schmear. Tucked inside a vestibule that makes year-round shopping comfortable, this kiosk makes it easier than ever to grab your weekend goodies. “Returning customers say this is their last stop after grocery shopping,” Perry shares.
SAG HARBOR, NEW YORK
A neon “Always Open” sign welcomes you into a chic red alcove adjacent to Cavaniola’s Gourmet, where two tech-forward refrigerated vending machines stand ready to serve 100 gourmet treats, including best-selling cheeses, caviar, local and rare accoutrements, and luxury food gift boxes. One of these boxes includes 5 pounds of Bethmale, Bosina Robiola, and Chabichou with fruit jam and a fig ball. “It’s a whole cheese board ready to go,” says owner and cheesemonger Michael Cavaniola.
Denise Shoukas
Denise Shoukas is an award-winning writer who covers food, trends, and the people who make the specialty food industry so interesting. Her work has appeared in Town & Country Magazine, Specialty Food Magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Saveur, Better Homes & Gardens and Time Out New York. When not writing, Shoukas is a passionate home cook who enjoys reading cookbooks cover to cover, exploring local food shops, and making handmade pottery. She lives with her family in Western Massachusetts
