France now has oyster vending machines, because of course it does

The oyster purveyors of tomorrow are 24-hour food ATM machines.

Leave it to one of the most foodie nations on earth to forgo the typical processed chips, lollies and soda usually crammed into vending machines for something better suited to the refined French palette.

A little island off the west coast of France, Île de Ré, has been making headlines these past few days for the ingenious invention of an oyster vending machine.

Tired of seeing potential customers swing by for oysters after they'd shut their doors for the day, oyster farmers Brigitte and Tony Berthelot made it their mission to provide patrons with an alternative way to get their mollusc fix at all hours of the day. See the oyster vending machine in action in the video above.

"We looked at the systems, we looked at what was being done in agriculture, because there are many distributors in the countryside. We contacted a manufacturer who responded and who fitted a machine for oysters since it is a particular product that is not very restrictive but requires some adjustments. Then, it was decided to set up a room intended for the installation of this distributor," Tony Berthelot explains in the full clip.

Oysters are replaced daily and sold unshucked, so some shucking proficiency is a must, though we can't imagine the oyster-loving island locals not being adept in the art.

The going rate for an oyster dozen from the machine is around $10.25 (6.90 Euro) and customers can even reserve a batch in advance and redeem via text message code.

This latest stroke of food ATM brilliance isn't even the first oyster vending machine to pop up in a French region, with the first launching in 2010 on the island of Oléron.