Perrystead Dairy Cheese Vending Machine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In the East Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, the Perrystead Dairy Vending Machine looks like something fairies dropped in the middle of a magic garden—and to the cheese enthusiasts of the area it might as well have been. It’s surrounded by expertly cultivated native flora, bisected by a curving stone path. If it weren’t for the sound of the El train roaring by in the distance, you might think you were somehow transported far from the city limits.

Perrystead is a local cheese shop unlike any other. With a small team of four, they make over 500 pounds of cheese a week. They keep their repertoire small, less than ten different cheeses, some of them seasonal, developed over time and inspired by a blend of old European techniques and American innovation. They have reached international acclaim and are world title holders; the winners of many a cheese competition.

The vending machine itself is a refrigerated behemoth that holds not only the shop’s signature cheeses, but also any accoutrements a visiting lunch goer could desire—utensils, meats, and condiments. From the outside it appears to be a little red shed, with only room for one guest at a time to step inside. Within, it’s cool and music is playing. Accepting credit cards only, the machine is open 24 hours a day, and guests can even be seen late in the evening grabbing the carefully packaged cheese on their way to (or from) the local bars. Additionally, there are shaded, wooden benches in the garden for sitting to snack, and because the dairy lies only five blocks from the Berks metro entrance, it’s an easy pit stop on an afternoon adventure.

If you were to peer into the glass front door of the dairy itself any given day between business hours (or even poke your head in to say hello) you may see the cheese mongers themselves bustling about—carefully checking temperatures, humidity, or another necessary metric (cheesemaking is a science and they have perfected it). The shop is spotless, the tanks so clean you can see your reflection in them and buzzing with activity. The Perrystead team pasteurizes their milk on site after it’s delivered from nearby farms, ensuring its freshness, and the same quality that will later be reflected in their final products.