City Tastes and Tipples:Ruth puts her heart and soul into Monty's

Ruth Jones worked at Morrisons for more than a decade before she took over at Monty's Cafe.
Caroline Skinner, owner Ruth Jones, and Hannah Ashton at Monty's Cafe on Westmorland Street, Wakefield.Caroline Skinner, owner Ruth Jones, and Hannah Ashton at Monty's Cafe on Westmorland Street, Wakefield.
Caroline Skinner, owner Ruth Jones, and Hannah Ashton at Monty's Cafe on Westmorland Street, Wakefield.

She admits that running the Westmorland Street cafe is more work than she had imagined but there’s no way she would swap it back for the checkouts.

It’s the cooking and the customers that really make the long days worthwhile.

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She said: “Because we’re small people sit and chat to each other.

Monty's Cafe, Westmorland Street, WakefieldMonty's Cafe, Westmorland Street, Wakefield
Monty's Cafe, Westmorland Street, Wakefield

“Everyone is so friendly. Our customers who may have never met sit and chat like they’ve known each other for years.

“I sit in the back and listen and think ‘how lovely is that?’

“We’re a lot more personal and friendly than some bigger chains.”

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“Everything is homemade and a lot of care goes into it. It’s your personal touch you put in.

“I give it everything because I want it to be right – I put my heart and soul into it.” Ruth, who lives in Wakefield, also worked as a cake chef before moving into Monty’s two years ago.

Despite how much she has warmed to the task, she never planned to open a cafe.

She said: “It wasn’t a long-term aim of mine. And I didn’t even know this one existed before I came to buy it. It’s kind of tucked away – that’s why I painted it bright red!” Ruth is planning a revamp of the inside to include pictures of how the city used to look to complement Monty’s role as a traditional cafe.

She said: “Old Wakefield’s gone and it needs to be remembered. There’s pictures of Brook Street when it was so busy with all its hustle and bustle. I’d like to bring some of that history back.”