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If you haven’t bought a face mask yet, you’re now able to pick one up from a  vending machine, with an entrepreneurial start-up bringing them to the masses.  

The company, called Maskey, has installed 10 face mask vending machines across the UK, with at least 20 more planned to launch in the next few weeks. 

Areas with vending machines up and running are mainly in the south of England so far, including Chigwell, Loughton, Woodford, Basildon, Southend, Luton and Slough. Three of the machines are strategically placed near London Tube stations, as face coverings became mandatory on public transport on Monday.  

The company is the brainchild of Adam Freeman, who previously appeared on BBC One’s The Apprentice. Maskey is already selling more than 3,500 non-medical face coverings each week, after just five weeks of trading, he says. 

“We’ve been stunned by how fast we have grown. The idea came about from seeing machines being used in other countries to make masks easily accessible, convenient and comfortable for people,” Freeman adds. 

“Based on conversations I’m having now, I believe we will have 50 vending machines in place around the UK by the end of July. All the businesses we are speaking to want ways to keep both staff and customers safe. It’s clear they feel that, while not compulsory to wear everywhere, these face coverings offer people confidence to get back out and about in this ‘new normal’.”

Maskey has also opened a dedicated shop in Woodford, Essex.

The vending machines – dubbed ‘Vendamasks’ – have a reader for contactless payments from cards or smartphones. The reusable coverings come in a range of patterns, are priced £6-£15, and are washable. There’s also a range for children aged five to 13. 

“We’ve scaled up our production over the past few weeks to meet increasing demand, taking on new machinists, finding more space for them to work and making more room to build up stock to meet the increasing orders that will come due to the changes in the rules,” says Freeman. 

“We’ve been inundated with requests from shopping centres and businesses too and all are keen to have their own vending machine installed for staff and customers.”

Find out where the nearest vending machine is to you on Maskey’s website.