When you’re out and about and there’s no fairy bread or Vegemite on toast to dig into, you have to explore some other options.
The vending machine is our only saviour when we’re craving some home-grown snacks.
So we’ve rounded up our top 10 Australian vending machine snacks. This turned out to be a controversial topic in the SVA Vending office.
So let us know…How did we go?
1. Tim Tams
Double-coated, obv.
Tim Tams top the list, no dramas. Because when it comes to chocolate-covered biscuits, no one does it better than us.
True story: Whenever we go overseas, Tim Tams could be the thing we miss most about ‘Straya. We refuse to get on a plane without throwing a few in our suitcase.
If you’ve never bit off the corners and used your Tim Tam as a straw for slurping hot Milo, what are you waiting for?
Image found on Flicker
Image found on Wikimedia
2. Shapes
BBQ, Pizza or Vegemite? We’ll take all three, thanks.
A quintessential Aussie snack, Arnott’s Shapes should be a food group of their own.
Scratch that. The Shapes dust at the bottom of the pack, that we tip into our mouth (and eyes, a bit) should be a food group of its own.
But we hate to break it to ya: If you’re here for the Cheese & Bacon variety, we can’t be mates.
3. Farmer’s Union Iced Coffee
Late for work? Late for the train? Just want to look important?
Grab an iced coffee and run.
Alright…we love a fancy $6 oat milk latte as much as the next person. But we’re in a cost-of-living crisis, and Farmer’s Union Iced Coffee hits the spot when we need a quick caffeine hit.
We know this might be an SA thing, so for the other states, an honourable mention for Dare Double Espresso. That goes alright, too.
Image found on Printerval
Image found on Flickr
4. Twisties
Chicken Twisties. That’s it. That’s the post.
(Really though, is it just us, or does everyone get a Chicken Twisties craving at least once a week?)
From digging our sticky paws into every Twisties bowl at a buffet as kids, to pouring them straight from the bag into our cake holes today, we’ll never, ever be able to get enough.
Hide them from your kids, your mother-in-law and any guest, really. The Twisties are yours.
5. KitKat
Have a break. Then have another one. Then just take the whole day off…
So it turns out that KitKats were ranked as the best Australian vending machine snack, according to a survey by 9Honey.
Turns out, most Aussies love something sweet to satisfy our cravings. And a biscuity bite with our choccie doesn’t hurt.
See also: Twix, Snickers and Crunchie.
Image found on Unsplash
Image found on Flickr
6. Smith’s Salt & Vinegar Chips
Tyrell’s might be posh, but Smith’s are classic.
Coming in at second place in the 9Honey survey was a classic pack of salt and vinegar chips. And we think Smith’s is the king of these tangy guys.
When there’s a hole to fill, this is the bag we wanna grab.
At SVA Vending, we’ve been arguing among ourselves about whether Smith’s or Red Rock Deli are the best chips. Smith’s just took the title. But what do you reckon?
7. Granola Bars
For when we want to convince ourselves we’re being healthy.
All jokes aside, granola bars offer a good dose of fibre and protein, for a little on-the-go nutrition.
Made from anything from nuts and seeds to raisins and coconuts, there’s always a deliciously sticky combination we can lodge in our teeth.
Gym bros and sisters, and busy corporate people, this one’s for you.
Image found on Unsplash
Image found on Wikimedia
8. Meat Pies
Always be prepared: Carry a sachet of tomato sauce wherever you go.
Ask a bunch of Aussies what our national dish is, and they’ll tell ya it’s a meat pie. Lately, we’ve gone fancy and spun the humble meat pie. Are you going for meat topped with mashed potatoes, curried beef, beef and cheese, or beef and bacon?
This one is the domain of heated vending machines only, of course.
9. Killer Pythons
Other countries have gummy worms; we have Killer Pythons.
These classic lollies by Allen’s deserve a space in any Australian vending machine. But yeah, we admit they were even better when they were almost double the size.
In our opinion, Allen’s can do no wrong when it comes to their lolly selection. (Apart from Black Cats. Gross.)
Image found on 7 News
Image found on Wikimedia
10. Cherry Ripes
Australia’s oldest chocolate bar just turned 100.
Back in the day, you could buy a big bar of Cherry Ripe that was really just a heap of small bars joined up.
Maximum cherry to chocolate ratio. No time to take a breath in between bars. Those were the days.
Cherry Ripes are top-tier Australian vending machine snacks. And it’s not up for discussion.
Got the munchies?
Who knew Australian vending machine snacks would be such a hot topic? If this list has got you salivating – or you’re all worked up that we missed your favourite snack – let us know! We’re all ears.
Tell us what we got right (or wrong!) in the comments.
Businesses, keep your customers and passers-by happy with some classic Aussie snacks. Contact SVA Vending to talk all things vending machines.
Always aim to eat a balanced diet and moderate your snack consumption.