We love the sound of the automated egg vending machines that are springing up all over the country – a clever way of selling fresh produce directly to the consumer.
In more trusting times, honesty boxes were left at farm gates and locals could fetch their own produce and leave a payment. In this instance, punters are invited to insert €6 in exchange for 30 eggs. No more middle man, no more costly distribution, and about 80 per cent less packaging.
The machines are the brainchild of Paddy Muckian, who has a chicken business in Lisdoo, Dundalk, Co Louth. He has been perfecting the system for the past four years and the idea is suddenly taking off: he is off to England next week to deliver machines to Buckinghamshire. Closer to home, you’ll find egg dispensers in Louth, Cork, Donegal, Monaghan and Leitrim. He is selling about 500 eggs everyday outside his own farm.
Whether or not the eggs are free-range or not depends on the farmer dispensing them, of course, but we imagine we’ll be seeing a lot more egg dispensers in months to come, often located in garage forecourts. You can contact Paddy Muckian at 042-9334849.
