The AVA welcomed The Right Honourable Sir Alec Shelbrooke KBE MP, and Councillor Sam Firth to HQ at Wetherby on Friday, 24 April 2026.
Sir Alec Shelbrooke, Member of Parliament for Wetherby and Easingwold, and Councillor Sam Firth, City Councillor for Harewood, met with the AVA team to gain insight into how the Association supports its members and represents the vending and automated retail industry. Discussions focused on the key legislative and regulatory challenges currently facing the industry.
Topics included the proposed ban on high-caffeine energy drinks, Defra’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reforms, and work by the Food Standards Agency and Public Health Scotland on nutritional profiling for products sold through vending and automated retail.
David Llewellyn, Chief Executive of AVA, emphasised the importance of engaging policymakers on these issues. He said: “We are grateful to our local MP for taking the time to visit and engage with us on some of our industry concerns. As a not-for-profit association, the AVA’s role is to ensure policymakers understand the practical realities on the ground, so regulation supports innovation, fairness and consumer choice rather than unintentionally holding the sector back.”
The AVA continues to work closely with government bodies, regulators, and elected representatives to ensure the vending and automated retail industry’s voice is heard as new legislation and policy proposals are developed.
*The AVA encourages you to invite your local MP to visit your business so they can gain a better understanding of the vending industry and the issues that matter to it – particularly the proposed ban on high caffeine energy drinks. For guidance on arranging a visit, please contact Public Affairs Manager, Scott Sherlock.
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