A reporter visited a viral vending machine in Kent that sells sausages, eggs, milk, and homemade chicken pies. The Egg Machine, located on a working farm in a quiet village, has gained popularity on TikTok for its unusual offering of local produce. Megan Carr took her parents to see if it lived up to the hype.
Arriving at the Farm
Pulling up just before 7pm on a Saturday, the car park was empty and nobody was about. Inside a shed-like building was a giant refrigerated unmanned vending machine packed with local produce behind numbered doors. Items included eggs, milk, sausages, tray bakes, brownies, apple juice, cooked meats, and cookies.
Using the machine was easy: type numbers into a keypad, add to basket, pay, and all doors pop open. There was also a coffee machine and a number to call if something went wrong.
Local Interaction and Purchase
While deciding what to get, two locals wandered in, grabbed milk and eggs, and left within 30 seconds. For them, it is a handy village shop; for others, a tourist attraction thanks to TikTok. The reporter left with two milkshakes, a cooked chicken, a chicken pie, Scotch eggs, and cookies, spending just under £40. The pie was £12 and the cooked chicken £14.
Tasting the Food
The next evening, the reporter's mum cooked the pie with mash, swede, peas, carrots, and cabbage. It was 'unreal' and one of the best pies ever. The pie was heavy, stuffed with shredded chicken, leek, ham, and mushrooms, with buttery, rich pastry. The £12 price made sense. The cooked chicken was moist, tasty, and plentiful, enough for a family meal or leftovers. However, £14 felt a bit much even for farm shop produce, but it includes local sourcing, 24/7 availability, and the vending machine experience.
The cookies had a proper homemade feel, including chocolate chip, double chocolate, and raisin. The Scotch eggs had plenty of filling, unlike some supermarket ones. The milkshakes, banana and chocolate, were more like flavoured milk than thick milkshakes, with subtle flavours; the banana was pleasant but the chocolate needed more richness.
Overall Experience
Standing in the middle of a Kent farm on a Saturday evening, buying pies and milkshakes from a vending machine is fun and quirky without feeling gimmicky. The food justifies the online hype. The reporter is still thinking about that pie.
