The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust has appointed Refreshment Systems as its sole provider of beverages and refreshment services to patients, visitors and staff. The contract, which will deliver around one million vends a year and will run for five years, is the largest contract the firm has ever won.
Sales Director Paul Shaw is delighted to have won the contract, which he describes as “the shape of things to come at Refreshment Systems”.
“Whittington Hospital is an award winning facility located between Archway and Highgate in north London with a capacity of 450 beds,” he said.
“We’ll be providing three separate refreshment solutions. We’ll be operating a trolley service to patients in their beds, using 19 trolleys that will deliver 750,000 in-cup beverages each year, staff at the hospital will have access to 2 Café Amore branded vending machines delivering top quality 9oz drinks, whilst visitors will enjoy two Café Amore branded retail outlets, served by 2 semi-automatic bean to cup machines, backed up by three Café Amore vending machines delivering 12oz drinks.”
All the required equipment has been funded by Refreshment Systems as part of the deal, a telling indicator that Refreshment Systems is, as Mr. Shaw says, “a substantial company that is ready and able to invest in its future”.
“The machines are provided free, on loan,” he said, “and the capital recovery will be amortized by means of a signed ingredients supply contract.”
Paul Hepworth, Catering Manager for The Whittington Hospital said: “We selected Refreshment Systems because they were able to provide the complete beverage solution that we required. Staff and visitors to the Whittington Hospital have commented on how good the coffees are from the vending machines, and how they are more modern compared to the old-fashioned type beverage vending systems. Due to the current economic situation, the NHS has to become more cost effective yet still maintaining a high standard of service. We found Refreshment Systems were able to maximise our budget, whilst providing an improved quality of drinks across all Hospital Departments, Wards and Restaurant areas.”
The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust contract is the latest in a lengthy line of new business wins for Refreshment Systems and the company is shortly to announce the addition of “two industry heavyweights” to its successful sales team. As Mr. Shaw said, “We mean business.”
