Cafe culture comes to Rhondda’s community hospital!

Ysbyty Cwm Rhondda in Llwynypia officially unveiled its new cafe this week offering fairtrade coffee and a light, modern space for patients, staff and the public to meet for coffee and lunch.

 

Bar Barista Plus which offers hot meals as well as espresso-style coffees is owned and run by the health board and builds on the network of Bar Barista coffee shops at its other hospitals.

 

The staff are employed by Cwm Taf and all profits from the cafe are invested back into the health board rather than a privately-owned company.

 

Anthony Hayward, Assistant Director of Facilities at Cwm Taf University Health Board, said it was an exciting development not just for staff and patients but the community as a whole.

 

“Bar Barista Plus replaces a small canteen which was not very inspiring and did not meet the needs of our staff and patients. We were asked to provide somewhere that was comfortable and modern, which also offered good coffee and a range of food, and hopefully this is what we have come up with.

 

The space will also extend outside during the summer and we hope it will be used by the community too as a good quality local coffee shop to meet friends and family.”

 

Philip McArdle of Argie’s Coffee in Brynmenyn, Bridgend, which will provide the Fairtrade coffee said: “We have enjoyed working closely with Cwm Taf University Health Board and it’s great that they have made this commitment to source ethically and sustainably and we look forward to working with more Welsh public bodies through the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, so that we can be a globally responsible Wales.”

 

Adele Price, a nurse from the ante-natal department at Ysbyty Cwm Rhondda won the prize draw and was awarded a coffee maker at the official opening on Wednesday.

 

Bar Barista Plus will be open Monday to Friday 8am-7pm weekdays. Free wifi is also available at the cafe via the Cloud.