The Development of a New Invention: The Jellybean Waterfall
At Lick Me I’m Delicious, we’re known for creating futuristic inventions that turn food into immersive experiences - machines that surprise and delight guests, while also cleverly designed to run smoothly, load easily, and travel well.
But how do these magical machines come to life?
Let’s take a behind-the-scenes look at the development of our newest invention: the Jellybean Waterfall, launched in February 2025.
Step 1: The Spark of an Idea - a Jellybean Daydream
This world’s first waterfall of its kind, popped into the ‘top-hatted’ head of our founder and inventor, Charlie, over ten years ago. At the time, it was just a playful concept - an idea that would one day become a real-life experience to delight guests. It was captured in his big book of ideas, and then, it finally rose to the top of the list.
But turning an idea into reality is no small feat...
Step 2: From Concept to Creation
It starts with thinking, sketching, and conceptualising - taking an idea and turning it into a machine that actually works (without exploding or spilling on your shoes!) takes time. Early concepts were built and tested with simple components to see if the idea could even fly.
The first spark of inspiration came from a water wheel. Charlie created a giant, spinning wheel with vibrating plates, sending a rainbow trail of jellybeans tumbling behind it. It did work, but keeping it safe was a whole other adventure, and despite its playful magic, it just didn’t have that all-important WOW.
An early press piece covering the initial jellybean waterfall ‘waterwheel’ concept
So, back to the drawing board it went, until another idea bubbled to the surface…
This time, a spiral staircase design was dreamt up, sending jellybeans upwards on a confectionary-style escalator. Ingenious, yes. But at events, it would have proved too mechanical, too fiddly, and - with not enough jellybeans reaching peak speed at the same time - not nearly enough oomph to make the crowd’s jaws drop.
The feeder mechanism from the spiral jellybean concept
So, back to the big book of ideas the concept went for a while longer. Until, finally, a novel idea landed and developed into the invention we have today – a patented spiral that lifts a full bore of jellybeans through a tube, creating a visual spectacle with lots of jellybeans tumbling all at once! The concept didn’t just work — it wowed.
A very early working model of the Jellybean Waterfall - June 2022
And so we began, the curious (and painstaking) journey of engineering…
We built, tested, broke, tweaked, broke, and rebuilt over and over again. Each added component changed how the system functioned, so we tested again and broke it until we couldn’t break it anymore!
This is the part that takes hundreds of hours, and is exactly what Charlie was doing ten years ago, back when the Jellybean Waterfall was just a dream in motion:
Step 3: Made to Travel
Once we have a working prototype, it needs to be fabricated for real-world use. That means it had to be gorgeous, robust, but also portable, and easy to assemble whether it’s gliding into a gala or being wheeled into a wedding under cover of twilight.
One of the working prototypes that didn’t quite pass the months of testing
It has to break down into manageable parts, survive the rigours of transport and set-up, and run reliably again and again. That takes a creative mindset - and, once again, plenty of testing… including trying to break it! Days of jellybeans whizzed and whooshed as we troubleshot and refined the design.
Creating the artwork and gamification for the machine
We then create clear, fool-proof manuals so our event teams can run and troubleshoot the invention, while also dreaming up fun ways to gamify the experience for guests.
Step 4: Ready for Launch
Once the machine passes every test, it's showtime! But first, a LOT of behind-the-scenes work:
Add it to our website, systems, and brochures
Create spec sheets, H&S documents, and games
Source jellybeans in bulk at the best quality and value
Gather allergen information and ensure repair kits are ready
Build packing lists, stock calculators, and operational plans
And, of course, teach the team all the tricks for setting up and delighting guests
Step 5: The Big Reveal
Launched with much fanfare and the smell of sugar in the air, the Jellybean Waterfall made its dazzling debut at Confex 2025.
The machine set up before the we were descended on by thousands of people
Guests gawked. Students squealed. Jellybeans flew like a rainbow in freefall. Nearly 100 kilograms of joy handed out, one cupful at a time.
A very busy Jellybean Waterfall being mobbed (interacted with) from all angles
We called it a sweet success.
Everyone else just called it magic.
Click here to see the Jellybean Waterfall experience!