BEAT: COFFEE & CONVERSATION

In the heart of Bridgend, Beat Bakehouse has quickly become a beloved local gem, offering a unique blend of speciality coffee and artisan baked goods. Founded by Hollie and Adrian, the Bakery is more than just a business; it’s a reflection of their passion for quality, community and creativity. In this interview, Hollie and Adrian share the story behind BEAT, the inspirations that drive them and their aspirations for the future.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW BEAT STARTED IN BRIDGEND:

“Adrian and I met in university, I was studying Interior Architecture, and Adrian studied Graphic Design before moving on to what we thought would be our life long careers in those fields. My mum had been running a Tearoom for about eight years at this point, situated in Bryngarw Country Park. I wasn’t delighted with my job, so I started baking for my mum. The tearoom was in a council-rented property, and they had funding to extend the space for additional seating. We expanded and opened the indoor area in 2012. Then, about seven years ago, we were approached to re-open another council owned café in Afan Forest Parc and take on a new lease there. That’s when we both became self-employed, running two businesses but then Covid hit. The council decided to take one premises back and put the other up for tender.

That’s when we looked at opening ‘Beat’ in Bridgend instead. This tiny ex-office property came up and I thought it was perfect. It’s right next to the train station and along people’s routes into town. Covid wasn’t great, but we had to look past that. We noticed a lot of people (ourselves included) wanted to move away from the commercial scene and venture into more artisanal stores. Adrian wanted to sell speciality coffee and was particularly excited to work with Coaltown Coffee, while I wanted to continue baking. People wanted to shop and support local businesses, so we were excited to provide that.

And that’s that—two years later, and we’re still here. It’s going really well, all things considered. We didn’t expect it to be received so well. We have experienced a lot of love from the community and are so grateful for the large number of regulars we have. Considering they say the town centre is dying; we’ve experienced a lot of foot traffic. The town is slowly freshening up, which is positive to see.”

Hollie

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

“Happiness, I’d say. We find happiness in everything. What we put out and what makes us content inspires us and brings us happiness. What we do day-to-day is relatively easy but making others happy drives our work. We don’t just view ourselves as a bakery and small coffee shop; we want people to feel like they’ve got a purpose when they come in here and that they can enjoy our reliable products. Coffee is simple. Baking is simple. But being nice to people and giving back means a lot to us.”

Adrian

IN TERMS OF BEING INSPIRED BY CITIES, WOULD YOU SAY THERE’S ANY ONE PLACE THAT INSPIRES YOU?

“There’s not just one; there are so many. We follow our stomachs when it comes to travelling. We always find inspiration from where we choose to eat. For example this year we traveled to Palma, we were inspired by the simplicity, freshness and aesthetic of Palma Bread. Their menu has inspired some recipes we’ve tried to replicate in our own Beat way. Also, the Italian Bambino espresso bars, which are slamming out coffee, inspired a lot of our space, especially our open garage window. Our location, being near the train station, means that customers are in and out quite frequently. But there is also room for people to come in and enjoy their coffee. We take snippets from here, there, and everywhere and try to incorporate them into our own style and space.”

Adrian

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO OPEN YOUR BUSINESS?

“It sort of goes back to the beginning question—being able to offer something different to the public. Bridgend hosts many high-street brands and we want to show people that independent businesses can do well and care about their products. We’d like to think we’re more community-focused, not just about the annual turnover.”

Adrian

WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE COALTOWN?

“I was put in contact with Scott over 10 years ago through a mutual Accountant. They suggested we get in touch with Coaltown. It always stuck with me how great Scott was when we first met him all those years ago. He wasn’t pushy at all; he just wanted us to know that he was there for us if we needed anything when we planned to start our coffee journey.

The quality of the product is exceptional; it always has been. From their quality of service to offerings and trying new products, it made it an easy choice for us. From when we first opened to now, our coffee orders have only increased. The Team at Coaltown have never pushed us but have supported us along the way.

Coaltown has always been good at following through, always asking what they can do to help and continuously providing a good product for our business.

We’ll continue to stick with them; that will never change.”

Adrian

WHAT DO YOU LOVE THE MOST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?

“It’s ours. We get to be creative. We get to decide what we put on the menu. We work with the products we want to work with. Working for ourselves is why we’ve done it. It always goes back to serving someone something different and getting a reaction for something you’ve made. That’s the reward—putting something out there and having it appreciated. That’s why we love what we do.”

Adrian

DESCRIBE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH COFFEE IN THREE WORDS:

“Passion—I love the fact that everything with coffee is different. A passion for finding new flavours, new coffee notes, new origins or new brewing processes. There is passion in our coffee process, creating something for everyone. Coffee has become a popular culture now and when you find something new in coffee, it ignites passion.

Consistency—To be able to offer consistency as a business, time and time again, especially to our customers.

Brave—I didn’t come from a coffee background. To jump into coffee and learn all about its process was brave. We used to be afraid to try new products, just in case they weren’t well received. Now, we’re brave enough to stock a range of new high-quality products at BEAT. Trying seasonal coffees is brave; customers become so used to the house coffees we offer. We’ve learned to just go with it and we find that the customers always enjoy it.”

Adrian

WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO COFFEE ORDER?

“If I’m visiting a good café and they have a decent batch on offer, I’ll have a cup of batch straight down the chops. If it’s a solid place and I like what they serve on their hoppers, I’ll have an espresso.”

Adrian

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE COFFEE SHOP OR BAKERY YOU’VE EVER VISITED?

“We went to a lovely place in Palma recently called Palma Bread. They weren’t serving anything different product-wise to what we’ve seen before but they had some fantastic pastry dishes on offer. The environment there was lush. The setting was beautiful.

My top bakery choices would be Yeast or Fortu Bakery in London, if we’re keeping it local you can’t go wrong with the Hare and Hound Bakery in Cowbridge. We have always wanted to visit the States to see Luna Bakery and Tartine are a must for our US bucket list. 

As for a coffee shop, I would always choose somewhere that is slinging something new. I try to go to places that don’t serve what I offer, to try something new. We also tend to go with the atmosphere of a place. The products can be half-decent but if the atmosphere is on point, it can make a place.”

Adrian

HOW DO YOU BREW COFFEE AT HOME?

“V60 is my go-to at home, and we also have a pod machine for Hollie’s first coffee of the morning. I usually wait until we come into the shop. I’ll dial in a couple of espressos in the morning and then the batch comes out and I’ll slam a couple of those too.”

Adrian

AS A BUSINESS, WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE?

“Seasonally, we change all our products, and our counters tend to look different month on month. In September, it’s a slow move to Autumn. Then, with the coffee, I’ll adjust my batch to the season—for example, the darker months have more chocolaty, nutty notes.

We’ve got goals to grow. In the next two to three years, we’re hoping to get into a space that has more room for bakery flexibility—to give Hollie extra space to get new equipment to help make her job easier. It must be the right size, location, and have the right feel. We hope to employ some staff, too, so we can take some time off without shutting shop. We want to get someone to join our family; we don’t just want staff—they would be part of Beat.”

Adrian

Hollie and Adrian’s journey with Beat Bakehouse is a testament to the power of passion and community. From their early roots in Bryngarw Country Park to their flourishing spot in Bridgend, they’ve created a space that not only serves exceptional coffee and baked goods but also fosters a sense of belonging. As they look to the future, their commitment to quality and creativity remains unwavering, promising even more exciting developments for their loyal customers.