When sisters Meera and Chet took over Loughborough's much-loved Baobab Café in 2023, they quickly discovered that popularity comes with its own problems. Their old griddles and panini presses were struggling to keep up with demand, and queues were getting longer by the day.
Baobab's right in the thick of the community - the sort of place where everyone knows your order and you can't walk past without bumping into someone you know. But with equipment that belonged in a museum, the sisters were worried about disappointing customers and losing their reputation for brilliant allergen-friendly food.
That's when they called us at Midshires.
Ian popped round to see how their kitchen actually worked during the morning rush. Meanwhile, Shaun spent time chatting with the team about their menu and figuring out where the bottlenecks were happening. After watching service and understanding what they were up against, we recommended the Lincat CiBO+ high-speed oven.
The beauty of the CiBO+ is that it cooks fast without cutting corners on quality - exactly what Baobab needed. We got everything installed and the team trained up in one morning, so they barely missed a beat.
The difference was obvious straight away. Prep times dropped by half, which meant the team could actually chat with customers instead of being stuck behind the counter wrestling with temperamental equipment. The programmable settings meant every toastie, flatbread and vegan bake came out perfectly consistent, and the enclosed design stopped any cross-contamination issues - crucial for a café that prides itself on being inclusive.
The oven's also helping with their energy bills, which is a nice bonus when you're trying to run a sustainable business. Plus, Meera and Chet know we're just a phone call away if they need anything.
As Meera puts it: "Midshires actually listened to what we needed, delivered exactly what they promised, and completely transformed how our kitchen works. The CiBO+ means we can serve people faster, keep them happy, and stick to what we believe in."
Not bad for a morning's work.