As if we needed another reason to mourn the lack of Aldi in Aotearoa, it's been revealed the supermarket now has a robotic pizza vending machine.
The robot, based at an Aldi store in North Sydney, is said to be able to cook restaurant-quality pizza in just two minutes.
Offering the options of Pepperoni or Italiana, the pizzas start at AU$8.99 each and the 'Pizzabot' can cook up to 450 pizzas per day, according to reports.
The machine was designed and manufactured in Australia in collaboration with startup Placer Robotics.
"We are extremely excited by our collaboration with Pizzabot, a true Aussie innovation, to deliver great quality pizza and a unique experience," director of Aldi Corner Store Huw Longman, said.
"This collaboration to launch Pizzabot reflects our commitment to delighting our customers with innovation. We're pretty confident that this will be a lunch experience for North Sydney-siders."
The secret to the Pizzabot is the bases which are handmade and partially cooked locally. They're then topped with ingredients and chilled in the machine, ready for customers to purchase.
The glass front on the machine allows the cooking and the packing of the pizza by the robot to be seen by customers.
"Our custom oven, which reaches temperatures as high as a wood-fired oven with digital precision, guarantees the perfect crispness, taste and look of each slice, every time," Pizzabot founder Matt Lipski said.
"Our vision was to give time-poor consumers restaurant grade pizza that is quick, delicious, healthy and affordable."
Unfortunately any Kiwis wanting to try out the unique vending machine pizza will need to head over the ditch quickly - it's only on trial at the North Sydney store and there are no current plans to roll it out wider in Australia.
