A scooping mechanism comprising a main bracket 1 swivellably mounted on a substantially vertical axis 2 an outer arm 4 swivelably mounted on a substantially horizontal axis 5 to the main bracket an inner arm 16 rotateably mounted within the outer arm a holder 7, preferably for cutlery, mounted in a casing 8 attached to the top end of the inner arm a tilting follower 11 fixed to the bottom end of the inner arm and a guide 12 fixed to the main bracket wherein the tilting follower engages with the guide causing the inner arm to rotate within the outer arm as the outer arm is swivelled around the horizontal axis. The mechanism may comprise a tooth belt mechanism 18 which, when the outer arm is moved, rotates the holder ensuring that any cutlery stays level in one plane so that no food is spilt. The tilting follower and guide may interact with slides or rollers (13, figure 6), in which one has a shaped profile which provides the tilting scooping action. The mechanism may be manual or controlled by computer.
