Smügo, the made-as-you-wait frozen fruit smoothie concept, is rolling out in the forecourt sector with Goran Raven the latest to offer the drinks at his site in Abridge, Essex.
Smügo co-founder Ed Morris says that Raven is the third petrol station operator to introduce the self-service blender/freezer units, with orders from four more operators.
“We have the capacity to do a few more with 12 planned in total this year, and then doubling the amount every year after,” says Morris.
He and business partner Roy Wainwright wanted to address their frustration of “the lack of healthy and tasty options available at forecourts”.
Raven, who introduced Smügo to his Budgens store last week, says that it is proving “absolutely fabulous”, enabling him to increase his range of healthier on the move products.
One hundred pre-filled cups, given to him as a complimentary starter package, were sold in less than 24 hours. “We’ve only had Smügo in a week, and we’ve already sold 155 cups,” he says.
“It’s so different that people stop in their tracks when they see it, and it gives us a healthier option alongside the iSqueeze [fresh orange juice] machine in our food to go area. It is getting a heck of a response from customers.”
There are three fruit mixes: an antioxidant rich Cool Refresh recipe of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, banana and apple, a Protein Boost with a similar fruit mix and 20g of pea protein, and a Green Revival with ginger, pineapple, apple, kale and banana. Raven says he gets a 40% profit margin on each cup he sells for £4.95.
The customer takes the cup from the freezer, scans the QR code on the cup at the blender station, peels off the plastic lid, and puts the cup in the blender before a blade comes down, a bit of water is added and the smoothies are produced.
Maple Leaf Express at Bromyard in Herefordshire was the first petrol station to adopt the concept in March, followed by Browns Food Stores’ Oversley Mill Services at Alcester in Warwickshire.
