Coffee Excellence Across a Leading Health Board Estate
Location: Cardiff, South Wales
Sector: Healthcare
Project Scope: Equipment Installation, Barista Training, Coffee Supply, Brand Consultation
Equipment: Eversys E4, Sanremo F18, Mahlkonig E65s, PUQPress M5, Alto 400 GM, Schaerer Soul 10
Coffee: Amico Classico
Aroma Coffee: An Established Brand
While Aroma’s retail food offering was strong, their coffee programme wasn’t keeping pace.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of Wales’ largest healthcare providers, serving a population of over 500,000 people.
Within its estate sits Aroma, a retail coffee and food brand operating 15 outlets across 5 sites, from bustling concourse cafés to 24-hour service points.
When Bridge Coffee Roasters first met the team, coffee played a crucial role in the retail operation with Aroma outlets serving between 2,000 to 5,000 hot drinks per day.
Unfortunately, the existing coffee offering wasn’t matching the quality or operational standards of the food offering.
There was a history of machines failing, service and support being limited, and the equipment provided wasn’t tailored to the individual needs of each outlet. Additionally, ongoing barista training provided a large area of potential improvement to boost quality.
An end-of-contract review opened the door for the retail team to select a new supplier and take their coffee vision to new heights.
The goal was simple but ambitious: Create a coffee experience on par with the high street, consistent, high-quality, and efficient, across a complex estate with diverse service needs.
The Challenges
Before partnering with Bridge, the Aroma coffee programme faced three core challenges:
- Misaligned Equipment: Every outlet used the same Egro machine, regardless of volume, service type, or space. This one-size-fits-all approach didn’t suit the variety and complexity of each coffee environment, from busy hospital concourses to small grab-and-go counters.
- Lack of Tailored Support: Service contracts were held at arm’s length, with limited training, technical support, and slow response times, leading to frustrated staff and a disrupted service.
- Inconsistent Quality: With no tailored training and limited resources for staff development, the customer experience varied from site to site.
When the opportunity came around for the Health Board to reconsider their coffee supplier they placed a heavy weight towards the operational aspect of the partnership: Whilst coffee quality played a role (10%), the formal tender process was weighted at 50% financial, and 40% technical requirements.
Our Approach
After being awarded the contract, we entered a consultation phase to refine the equipment specification and pricing.
Our sales and service teams toured each site with the Head of Retail to assess volume, peak-hour traffic, and operational needs. From this, we were able to adjust their machine fleet to a higher spec while also finding a 5% cost saving against the initial tendered list.
The result was a tailored equipment plan for all 15 outlets, replacing the “one machine fits all” model with solutions that matched each location’s specific requirements.
Complex Equipment Needs, Simplified
We knew the setup would be complex, with 47 machines spread across 15 sites, so we considered not just total daily volume but also peak-hour demand. It quickly became clear that a single type of machine wouldn’t meet the varied requirements across the estate.
To simplify the equipment solution while ensuring flexibility, we designed four distinct coffee setups, each carefully matched to the environment, service style, and customer flow of different outlets. This meant every location, from high-volume flagships to low-staff grab-and-go counters, could have a coffee solution tailored to its specific needs without overcomplicating training, maintenance, or operations.
1. Visitor Self-Service Locations
In busy hospital canteens where guests and staff serve themselves, the Alto 400 GM large-volume, bean-to-cup machines keep queues moving and coffee quality consistent.
Designed for minimal staff intervention, they’re ideal for high-traffic areas, delivering the same great taste cup after cup.
2. Premium Barista Outlets
These sites feature the Sanremo F18 espresso machine paired with a Mahlkönig E65S grinder and PUQPress M5 tamper, delivering high street–level coffee quality with speed and consistency.
This professional barista package adds a sense of theatre to service, whilst trained baristas ensure every drink meets the same high standard across multiple busy locations.
3. Grab-and-Go & Low-Staff Sites
Outlets with limited staffing, particularly the hospital theatres, are equipped with the Schaerer Soul 10 in either two-step or fully automatic configurations.
These machines deliver consistent, high-quality coffee with minimal staff input, making them ideal for fast-paced, grab-and-go service environments.
4. High-Volume Flagship Setup
At the heart of the brand new Bwyd Blasus café are two Eversys E’4 super-automatic machines, delivering barista-quality coffee 24 hours a day.
This high-capacity, fully automated setup combines precision, consistency, and ease of use to keep service flowing smoothly even during the busiest peaks.
Their Chosen Coffee: 
Chosen Coffee – Amico Classico
Amico Classico was selected for its crowd-pleasing flavour, value for money, and significant improvement over the previous offer. This smooth, well-balanced blend raises the standard of the Aroma brand, while maintaining broad appeal across diverse customer profiles.
A Complete Support Package
Our work with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board isn’t just about delivering great coffee, it’s about making sure that quality is maintained day in, day out, across a complex, high-volume estate.
To achieve that, we’ve put in place a comprehensive support programme that combines regular on-site contact, rapid technical assistance, ongoing training, and initiatives to keep staff motivated and standards high.
Dedicated Account Management A dedicated account manager visits almost weekly, and provides direct contact for the retail team, and remote assistance, ensuring issues are addressed quickly and effectively.
Rapid Service Response Our 24-hour service-level agreement guarantees fast breakdown responses, keeping downtime to a minimum across the estate’s busiest outlets.
Ongoing Barista Training Our lead barista trainer Jake rotates through the sites to deliver hands-on sessions, ensuring drink quality and service standards remain consistent.
Seasonal Drinks Programme A year-round menu development service, aligning seasonal drinks with Aroma’s food offering and key calendar events to keep the offer fresh and engaging.
Workflow & Efficiency Projects We’ve created standard operating procedures for cleaning, coffee preparation, and waste reduction, all designed to improve speed, quality, and consistency.
Coffee Champion Programme A scheme to recognise and reward high-performing staff, encouraging pride in the coffee offer and maintaining long-term quality.
The Results?
Within just a few weeks of installation, the impact was clear. Staff reported a noticeable increase in coffee sales across the estate, with daily volumes now averaging between 3,000 and 5,000 cups: totalling over 600,000 drinks served in the first half of 2025 alone.
Feedback from both customers and team members has been overwhelmingly positive, with the upgraded coffee offering now matching the quality of Aroma’s well-established food menu.
High-volume outlets have seen significant revenue growth, with some sites increasing daily takings by hundreds of pounds. Just as importantly, staff confidence has grown, supported by regular training and responsive technical support, allowing them to maintain consistency even during peak service.
The result is a comprehensive coffee programme that stands alongside high street cafés for quality, delivered seamlessly within a busy healthcare environment.
Here's what they have said...
“We’ve had great feedback from both staff and visitors since the new coffee setup was put in place. Bridge have been brilliant in supporting us right across the estate, helping us choose the machines for each outlet, providing training for the teams, and making sure everything runs smoothly.”
Andrew Pritchard, Head of Retail Catering Services - Cardiff & Vale University Health Board