A dispensing apparatus (10) for dispensing a material including a valve assembly (20) comprising: a valve member (22) movable in a reciprocating fashion along an axis, where the valve member (22) includes a stem (28) having at least one material transfer recess (30) provided on the stem (28) and a tapered dispensing end (24) having an angle of taper. The valve member (22) is movable between a first position where a discrete toroidal mass of material to be dispensed is formed at the dispensing end (24) and a second position where a discrete toroidal mass of material to be dispensed is not formed at the dispensing end (24). The dispensing apparatus (10) also includes a material dispensing assembly comprising having a fluid knife for moving the discrete toroidal mass to be dispensed from the dispensing end (24) away from the dispensing end (24) when the valve member (22) is in the first position. The fluid knife is supplied substantially parallel to the angle of taper of the dispensing end (24).