The Spinning Cone Column (SCC) is a mechanically assisted gas-liquid contacting device which has been successfully applied to a broad range of distillation processes in the food and beverage industries. SCC technology is now being adopted for a variety of specialised tasks in the chemical and process industries. In this review, the technology is described and its operating principles explained. An account of the evolution of the technology, from isotope enrichment to the separation of aroma compounds from food and beverage streams, is presented. The efficacy of SCC technology in food and beverage processing has prompted the investigation of potential uses with non-food materials. The development of non-food applications is now proceeding rapidly: removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from highly viscous polymeric suspensions, and the continuous removal of volatile fermentation by-products are described to illustrate the growth of this powerful technology.