The Customer
The Mill Kitchen & Bakery is an independent café, coffee shop and bakery located in the historic Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley, Leeds. It is owned by Ben Hicks, and since purchasing the business in 2022, the business has grown significantly, going from strength to strength.
It offers locally sourced, fresh food, including breads and pastries baked on site daily. They are renowned for a diverse, seasonal menu, and a friendly, cosy atmosphere.
The Challenge Faced
The kitchen at The Mill Kitchen & Bakery had limited space and relied on a small dishwasher which struggled to cope with the volume of washing during peak service times. The layout also created workflow challenges for staff, with washing and clearing often becoming a bottleneck.
This led to increased breakages and a greater reliance on manual washing.
As the business expanded and demand increased, it became clear that improvements to the kitchen layout and equipment were needed. Ben wanted to improve dishwashing capacity and create a smoother workflow in the kitchen so the team could work more efficiently.
How JTM Service Helped
Ben contacted JTM Service to discuss possible solutions. Our Business Development Manager, Ben Donaghy, visited the site to understand the requirements and recommended adding a Smeg pass-through dishwasher to increase dishwashing capacity while making better use of the available space. To accommodate the new equipment, the kitchen layout needed to be redesigned and building work undertaken. JTM Service introduced Ben to CDS Wilman to produce design drawings, and the team at Octopus Installations, who carried out work to the building and services, including plumbing, electrical work, joinery and drainage.
We recommended a Smeg SPH515SH pass-through dishwasher with heat recovery. As well as providing high-throughput and quick cycle times, this system recovers heat from the steam generated during the rinse cycle, helping to reduce energy consumption and costs, while also lowering humidity levels in the kitchen environment. This was the ideal solution for Ben and the team at The Mill Kitchen & Bakery.
The project required close coordination and regular communication between all parties, working with the customer to meet Ben’s timescales and requirements, and enable The Mill Kitchen & Bakery to remain partially open throughout. Our installation team completed the fitting and commissioning of the dishwasher on the day agreed, as well as updating settings on the existing dishwasher to improve its performance. They trained the Mill Kitchen & Bakery team on the new machine, and the results are fantastic!
Before
After
After
What The Client Says
The new dishwasher and improved kitchen layout have had an immediate positive impact on the day-to-day operation of The Mill Kitchen & Bakery. Dishwashing is now integrated into a smoother workflow, reducing downtime, improving cleanliness and helping the kitchen team work more efficiently.
Ben Hicks commented:
“We’ve noticed an immediate impact on the quality of cleanliness, the speed of service and the morale of the team. The service I have received from JTM Service has been exceptional – the communication throughout has been great and the engineers installing the dishwasher and training my team were knowledgeable and friendly and did a brilliant job!”
Ben was delighted with the outcome and the way JTM Service and the different teams worked together to deliver the project. The improved workflow and increased capacity have helped create a better working environment for staff and will support the continued growth of the business.
