A beverage or foodstuff preparation machine comprising: a component processing unit to process a beverage or foodstuff component to prepare a beverage or foodstuff therefrom; an auxiliary component interface; and a control system operable to execute a preparation process comprising control of said component processing unit to prepare the beverage or foodstuff, the control system comprising a user interface to receive a user selection of a preparation process and further comprising a communication interface of the auxiliary component interface to receive auxiliary component information stored on an auxiliary component, the control system operable to: receive said auxiliary component information from an auxiliary component; and enable, using the received auxiliary component information, a user to select via the user interface one or more preparation processes that at least partially utilise the auxiliary component the auxiliary component information comprising: information to enable the identification of the auxiliary component; and/or information to reconfigure the user interface display; and/or information to program one or more preparation processes that use the auxiliary component; characterized in that the control system is operable to use the received auxiliary component information to retrieve user interface configuration information and/or retrieve process information for processes that at least partially utilise the auxiliary component, wherein said machine is operable to at least partially retrieve said information from a remote resource via the communication interface or a further communication interface, and wherein the control system is operable to determine if said information is stored on the machine and if not then to obtain said information from the remote resource. a component processing unit to process a beverage or foodstuff component to prepare a beverage or foodstuff therefrom; an auxiliary component interface; and a control system operable to execute a preparation process comprising control of said component processing unit to prepare the beverage or foodstuff, the control system comprising a user interface to receive a user selection of a preparation process and further comprising a communication interface of the auxiliary component interface to receive auxiliary component information stored on an auxiliary component, the control system operable to: receive said auxiliary component information from an auxiliary component; and enable, using the received auxiliary component information, a user to select via the user interface one or more preparation processes that at least partially utilise the auxiliary component the auxiliary component information comprising: information to enable the identification of the auxiliary component; and/or information to reconfigure the user interface display; and/or information to program one or more preparation processes that use the auxiliary component; characterized in that the control system is operable to use the received auxiliary component information to retrieve user interface configuration information and/or retrieve process information for processes that at least partially utilise the auxiliary component, wherein said machine is operable to at least partially retrieve said information from a remote resource via the communication interface or a further communication interface, and wherein the control system is operable to determine if said information is stored on the machine and if not then to obtain said information from the remote resource. information to enable the identification of the auxiliary component; and/or information to reconfigure the user interface display; and/or information to program one or more preparation processes that use the auxiliary component; characterized in that the control system is operable to use the received auxiliary component information to retrieve user interface configuration information and/or retrieve process information for processes that at least partially utilise the auxiliary component, wherein said machine is operable to at least partially retrieve said information from a remote resource via the communication interface or a further communication interface, and wherein the control system is operable to determine if said information is stored on the machine and if not then to obtain said information from the remote resource.