One link per booking, from the text to the pass
The booker fills in the table's food from their phone, one guest at a time. It saves as they go, so they can come back when the last person finally texts them. Nothing reaches the kitchen until they press Send. Allergies are never typed in: guests call or tell the team, and the team checks at the table.
- The booking comes inFrom Toast's daily summary email, the Bookings report, or a 30-second quick-add by staff.
- Groups of 8 or more are picked upSmaller tables are left alone. A booking without a phone number waits for one.
- A text with the link goes outFrom "TheMill". Booking facts and the link only, so it stays a service message.
- The guest pre-ordersA guest list, one guest per screen, notes per dish, and a check page before sending.
- The kitchen gets an email and a sheetDish totals by course, then each guest with notes. Place cards print from the same order.
- A reminder goes out48 hours before, only if the order isn't in. It stops the moment it is.
- Orders close at the cut-offThe morning before. The link then says "call us" and the pub finishes it.
Its own appPre-orders is a separate app for The Mill, with its own address and its own passcode for staff. Stadium Social, the pubs' social media tool, carries on separately.
Private links for guestsEach booking gets its own unguessable link with no name or phone in it. It stops working at the cut-off. No sign-in, no app to install.
The menu shown is the one being servedSaturday evening hides The Offer and the sandwiches (both daytime only). A Sunday booking gets the Sunday menu.
Toast can't hand us bookings, so we meet it halfway
The Mill books through Toast Tables. Toast lets other software read a menu, but not bookings. So bookings come in by the routes Toast does offer, and the menu lives in our tool.
"Toast does not have a reservation API."
Toast developer guide, Building a reservation integration (read 19 Oct 2026). No webhook covers bookings either.
What Toast won't do, plainly
- No booking feed. The summary email is once a day and has no phone numbers, so a cancellation made in Toast shows up when the next summary drops it. We flag that to staff.
- No per-booking email to the pub. Forwarding Toast's confirmation emails isn't an option: they go to the guest.
- Toast's own booking texts can't carry our link. Its 2-way texts are typed by hand.
- Online booking stops at 12. Groups of 8 to 12 can book online; bigger groups phone. Its About text says tables of 10 must pre-order by emailing john@.
- Reading Toast's public order page on a schedule breaks its terms (Guest Terms 4.1). We don't. The menu comes from the pub's own PDF.
Later upgrades, if Toast prices them sensibly
Sarah's table of 10, from the text to "it's in"
The Mill's own look: charcoal, teal-blue and white, Playfair headings and Raleway text, the logo from the-mill-pub.co.uk. Every dish and price is from the menu PDF (6 Apr 2026). The guests and their choices are examples.
Hi Sarah, you're booked in for your meal at The Mill on Sat 24 Oct at 7:00pm, please pre-order using the link below
https://themill.pub/p/Xk3v9QmT2bLr8sWq1nYc4A
Hi Sarah, we haven't had your group's pre-order for The Mill on Sat 24 Oct at 7:00pm yet. Please choose your food using the link below
https://themill.pub/p/Xk3v9QmT2bLr8sWq1nYc4A
You can't reply to this sender
The text, and the reminder
Booking facts and the link, nothing else: no offers or events, which keeps both a service message under PECR. A longer name pushes the first text to 2. The link is a placeholder domain.
Hi Sarah, your table for 10 at The Mill
Sat 24 Oct, 7:00pmSaved as you go
Please choose by Fri 23 Oct, 10am
6 of 10 chosen1 deciding on the day
- Guest 1 SarahPrawn Cocktail, Salmon, Sherbert Lemon
- Guest 2 TomChicken Wings, 6oz Fillet Steak, Toffee
- Guest 3 JessStarted: Halloumi Fries
- Guest 4Scotch Egg, Fish & Chips
- Guest 5 MarkSatay, Simon, Crunchy
- Guest 6 PriyaMushroom Bruschetta, Thai Green Curry, Rolo
- Guest 7 JimSoup of the Time, Sausage & Mash, After Eight
- Guest 8Deciding on the day
- Guest 9Not started
- Guest 10Not started
The table: everyone at a glance
Guest 1 to Guest 10, each with a state you can read without colour. Names are optional, first names only, edited with the pencil. Anyone not sure yet can be set to "On the day", which the kitchen sees as a count.
Guest 3Sat 24 Oct, 7:00pm
Allergen infoThe Burgoerithm
Served with fresh skin on fries. All burgers can be made gluten free!
- Cheeseburger Eddie£18.00
2x 5oz chargrilled patties, melty cheese, lettuce, onions, gherkin, house burger sauce
Added: chunky chips, no gherkin
- Dave£19.50
2x 5oz chargrilled patties, melty cheese, candied bacon, lettuce, onion, gherkins, house burger sauce
GF - Simon£20.50
2x 5oz chargrilled patties, melty cheese, BBQ pulled pork, bacon jam, onion rings, BBQ sauce
GF - Linda£21.00
Southern fried quorn, melty cheese, house burger sauce, onion rings
VGF - Jalapeño Jack£20.50
2x 5oz chargrilled patties, melty cheese, jalapeños, fresh chilli, big Jack's hot sauce
GF
Jess: Halloumi Fries, Cheeseburger Eddie£29.00
One guest's menu
One starter, one main and one dessert each, picked by course. Sections are chips, in the menu's own names. V and GF are the PDF's marks (GF means a gluten-free version is available). Allergen info is one tap away from every dish.
Guest 3Sat 24 Oct, 7:00pm
Cheeseburger Eddie
£18.002x 5oz chargrilled patties, melty cheese, lettuce, onions, gherkin, house burger sauce. Served with fries.
Preferences only, like 'no sauce'. For allergies, call us on 01642 711028 or tell our team on the day.
Tap to add, with Toast's own options
The chips upgrade and the "No ..." choices are the burger modifiers from Toast's takeaway menu, so the kitchen sees words it already uses. Notes are for preferences; the hint sends allergies to a person.
Guest 3Sat 24 Oct, 7:00pm
Jess's choices
All three courses chosen. Saved.
- StarterHalloumi Fries£10.00
- MainCheeseburger Eddie£19.00
Chunky chips +£1.00 · No gherkin
"Extra crispy chips if you can"
- DessertCookie£10.00
Baked to order: please allow 15 minutes
Jess's food£39.00
Prices are a guide. You pay on the night as usual.
Allergies or intolerances? Call us on 01642 711028 or tell our team on the day.
The guest's choices
A short summary before moving on, with a Change link per course. Real menu notes come through, like the Cookie's 15 minutes.
Check your orderTable for 10, Sat 24 Oct, 7:00pm
Not sent yet- Guest 1 Sarah
Prawn Cocktail · Salmon · Sherbert Lemon
- Guest 2 Tom
Chicken Wings · 6oz Fillet Steak, medium rare, + Peppercorn, Chunky Chips · Toffee
- Guest 3 Jess
Halloumi Fries · Cheeseburger Eddie, chunky chips, no gherkin · Cookie
- Guest 4
Scotch Egg · Fish & Chips, mushy peas · No dessert
- Guest 5 Mark
Satay · Simon, no onion · Crunchy
- Guest 6 Priya
Mushroom Bruschetta · Thai Green Curry · Rolo
- Guest 7 Jim
Soup of the Time · Sausage & Mash · After Eight
- Guest 8
Deciding on the day
- Guest 9 Ellie
No starter · Pad Thai · Sherbert Lemon
Ellie's note mentions an allergy. Please call us on 01642 711028 so we can talk it through.
- Guest 10 Leo, kids' menu
I Don't Know!, peas · Ice cream included
Need allergen information? Ask us before you send: 01642 711028
Food for 9: £310.00Changes until Fri 23 Oct, 10am
Check your order: not sent yet
Titled so it can't be mistaken for the confirmation. A Change link per guest. A note that mentions an allergy is caught here and sends the booker to the phone.
Your pre-order is in
Thanks Sarah. The kitchen has your table's food for Sat 24 Oct at 7:00pm.
Ref MILL-7Q4K9 meals chosen, 1 on the dayGuest 8 can order at the table.
Need to change something?Use the link in your text until Fri 23 Oct, 10am. After that, give us a call.
On the nightOur team will check allergies with each guest before we serve.
- Date
- Sat 24 Oct 2026
- Time
- 7:00pm
- Table for
- 10
- Food so far
- £310.00, paid on the night
01642 711028
The confirmation
A reference, what happens next and when, and how to reach the pub. No extra text is sent: the link they already have opens this page again.
The team's own pre-order screens
The same look as the guest pages, kept plain for a busy shift: white, charcoal and teal, Playfair headings, Raleway text and big buttons. Staff sign in with the pre-orders passcode. Shown as it would look on Thu 22 Oct, 10:15am. The bookings are examples.
Toast summary read today, 6:00am: 6 groups of 8 or more
Thu 22 Oct 1 group
-
6:30pm
Helen R. · 8 guestsToast summaryComplete
Fri 23 Oct 1 group
-
7:30pm
Gary M. · 12 guestsToast summary, phone from the Bookings reportClosed today, 10am9 of 12 chosen, 3 on the night
Sat 24 Oct 2 groups
-
1:00pm
Kev T. · 14 guestsQuick-add, phoned inLink sent Tue · 0 of 14 chosenReminder due today, 1pm
-
7:00pm
Sarah H. · 10 guestsToast summary, phone from the Bookings report6 of 10 chosenReminder due today, 7pm
Sun 25 Oct 2 groups, Sunday menu
-
12:30pm
Wilson · 9 guestsToast summaryNo phone yetText goes when a phone is added
-
3:00pm
Amira K. · 8 guestsBookings reportComplete
This week's big tables
Every group of 8 or more with where it came from and where it's at: link sent, how many chosen, complete, closed, reminder due, or waiting for a phone. Resend and Open on every row.
Add a bookingThe Mill pre-orders
Quick-add from a phone
Five fields while the customer is still on the line. If Toast's summary has the same booking, the two join so nobody gets two texts.
Pre-order: Sat 24 Oct, 7:00pm, Sarah's table of 10
10 guests, Dining Room. 9 have chosen, 1 is deciding on the day. Final at the cut-off, Fri 23 Oct, 10am.
Ask the table about allergies before serving.Pre-orders don't carry allergy details. Check with every guest on the night.
A note mentions an allergy. Guest 9, Ellie, Pad Thai: "No nuts please, I'm allergic". Speak to Ellie before this is cooked.
Starters, 7
| 1 | Chicken Wings |
| 1 | Halloumi Fries |
| 1 | Mushroom Bruschetta |
| 1 | Prawn Cocktail |
| 1 | Satay |
| 1 | Scotch Egg |
| 1 | Soup of the Time |
Mains, 9
| 1 | 6oz Fillet Steak, medium rare |
| 1 | Cheeseburger Eddie |
| 1 | Fish & Chips |
| 1 | Pad Thai |
| 1 | Salmon |
| 1 | Sausage & Mash |
| 1 | Simon |
| 1 | Thai Green Curry |
| 1 | Kids: I Don't Know! |
Desserts, 7
| 2 | Sherbert Lemon |
| 1 | After Eight |
| 1 | Cookie (15 min) |
| 1 | Crunchy |
| 1 | Rolo |
| 1 | Toffee |
Sides and sauces
| 1 | Chunky Chips |
| 1 | Peppercorn |
Each guest
- 1. SarahPrawn Cocktail · Salmon · Sherbert Lemon
- 2. TomChicken Wings · 6oz Fillet Steak, medium rare, with Peppercorn and Chunky Chips · Toffee
- 3. JessHalloumi Fries · Cheeseburger Eddie, chunky chips, no gherkin. Note: "Extra crispy chips if you can" · Cookie
- 4. Guest 4Scotch Egg · Fish & Chips, mushy peas
- 5. MarkSatay · Simon, no onion · Crunchy
- 6. PriyaMushroom Bruschetta · Thai Green Curry. Note: "Mild, please" · Rolo
- 7. JimSoup of the Time · Sausage & Mash. Note: "Gravy on the side" · After Eight
- 8. Guest 8Ordering on the night
- 9. ElliePad Thai. Note: "No nuts please, I'm allergic" (see above) · Sherbert Lemon
- 10. Leo, kids' menuI Don't Know!, peas · Ice cream included
Print the sheet and place cards from the pre-orders app, This week, Sat 24 Oct. The booker's phone number is kept out of this email.
The kitchen email
Totals first so the kitchen can prep and order to numbers, then each guest. A fixed allergy line on every email, and any note that mentions an allergy pulled to the top.
Ask the table about allergies before servingA note mentions an allergy: Guest 9, Ellie (Pad Thai). Speak to her before cooking.
Starters, 7
- 1Chicken Wings
- 1Halloumi Fries
- 1Mushroom Bruschetta
- 1Prawn Cocktail
- 1Satay
- 1Scotch Egg
- 1Soup of the Time
Mains, 9
- 16oz Fillet, med rare
- 1Cheeseburger Eddie
- 1Fish & Chips
- 1Pad Thai
- 1Salmon
- 1Sausage & Mash
- 1Simon
- 1Thai Green Curry
- 1Kids: I Don't Know!
Desserts, 7
- 2Sherbert Lemon
- 1After Eight
- 1Cookie (15 min)
- 1Crunchy
- 1Rolo
- 1Toffee
Sides, sauces
- 1Chunky Chips
- 1Peppercorn
Each guest
| Name | Start | Main | Dessert | Special requests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sarah | Prawn Cocktail | Salmon | Sherbert Lemon | |
| 2 Tom | Chicken Wings | 6oz Fillet, medium rare, Peppercorn, Chunky Chips | Toffee | |
| 3 Jess | Halloumi Fries | Cheeseburger Eddie, chunky chips, no gherkin | Cookie | Extra crispy chips if you can |
| 4 Guest 4 | Scotch Egg | Fish & Chips, mushy peas | None | |
| 5 Mark | Satay | Simon, no onion | Crunchy | |
| 6 Priya | Mushroom Bruschetta | Thai Green Curry | Rolo | Mild, please |
| 7 Jim | Soup of the Time | Sausage & Mash | After Eight | Gravy on the side |
| 8 Guest 8 | Ordering on the night | |||
| 9 Ellie | None | Pad Thai | Sherbert Lemon | ALLERGY MENTIONED: "No nuts please, I'm allergic" |
| 10 Leo kids | I Don't Know!, peas | Ice cream | ||
Printed Thu 22 Oct, 8:15pm. Final at the cut-off, Fri 23 Oct, 10am: print again if it changes.
The printable kitchen sheet
One A4 page per table. The per-guest grid keeps the columns of the pub's current paper form (Name, Start, Main, Dessert, Special requests), so it reads the way the kitchen already works.
Sarah
- Start Prawn Cocktail
- Main Salmon
- Dessert Sherbert Lemon
Allergies? Please tell us before we serve.
Tom
- Start Chicken Wings
- Main 6oz Fillet Steak, medium rare
- With Peppercorn, Chunky Chips
- Dessert Toffee
Allergies? Please tell us before we serve.
Guest 4
- Start Scotch Egg
- Main Fish & Chips, mushy peas
Allergies? Please tell us before we serve.
Guest 8
- Ordering on the night
Allergies? Please tell us before we serve.
Place cards
Tent cards from the same order: fold along the dashed line, one per seat, so the right plate reaches the right person. Unnamed guests keep their number.
Decided on 19 October
The seven calls are made. The build starts after the studio launch.
Groups of 8 or more
Toast's booking text is updated to say the same, so guests see one rule.
Text at booking, remind 48 hours before
The link closes at 10am the day before. Texts only between 10am and 8pm.
The kitchen email goes to the studio while we test
Nobody at the pub gets an email until it is proven. The pub's address is set at launch.
The Mill, then Il Mulino's
The Spread Eagle and HOOD are dropped. Il Mulino's, the Italian sister restaurant, is the second venue; its menu and Toast details are still to gather.
No deposits, except at Christmas
Christmas group bookings take a deposit; nothing else does.
The pub writes a 14-allergen chart
Every dish links to it. We don't rebuild it in the tool.
The "booking list" is Toast's public booking page
The link customers use to book, not an internal list. Bookings still reach us through the daily summary email.
The seven calls as first asked
-
Which groups get a pre-order link?
Toast's booking page says tables of 10 must pre-order. You said 8 or more. Toast's online booking takes 8 to 12; bigger groups phone.
We recommend8 or more as the trigger, and update Toast's About text to say the same so guests see one rule.
-
When do the reminder and the cut-off fall?
Your brief says re-text "the day before". If orders also close the day before, the reminder lands with no time to act.
We recommendSend on booking, remind 48 hours before, close the morning before (10am). Texts only between 10am and 8pm. A booking made inside 48 hours gets one text and no reminder.
-
Who gets the kitchen email?
Toast's booking page names john@teampubsandbars.co.uk. The pre-order form PDF on the site says jess@teampubsandbars.co.uk.
We recommendOne kitchen address the team actually checks, kept to the people who need it. Until it's chosen, send to both john@ and jess@, then make Toast and the PDF agree.
-
Do The Spread Eagle and HOOD come later?
The Spread Eagle has a Toast Tables page that's switched off. HOOD has Toast ordering but no Toast Tables, and no menu PDF we could find for either.
We recommendThe Mill only for the first version. Build it per pub (menu, phone, sender name) so the others switch on when they take bookings.
-
Do we take deposits?
Greene King and Elite Pubs take £5 to £20 a head on big groups. It needs card payments, refunds and more legal text.
We recommendNo deposits in the first version. Add one later if no-shows become a problem.
-
Can the pub write an allergen chart?
There isn't one anywhere: not on the site, the PDF or Toast. A phone number meets the legal floor; FSA best practice wants written allergen information one click away.
We recommendThe kitchen makes a 14-allergen chart for the current menu and keeps it up to date. We link it from every dish. We don't rebuild it in the tool.
-
What's the "booking list on the Mill's website"?
We found no public booking list. The site has seven pages and sends all bookings to Toast. It might be Toast Web's reservation book (staff only), a guest's own "My bookings", or the Experiences list (Half Term Pumpkin Carving).
We recommendTell us which one you meant. If it's Toast's reservation book, the daily summary email is how we read it.
Pennies a booking to run
Running costs on the recommended route are the texts. Toast charges nothing for it. Build days are our estimate from the research, not a quote.
| Running cost | A month | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Texts, about 50 groupsa link and maybe a reminder each, ~100 texts | about £4.40 + VAT | The SMS Works at 4.4p + VAT a text, "TheMill" as sender, no monthly fee, credits never expire. Undelivered UK texts are refunded. |
| Texts, about 150 groups~300 texts | about £13.20 + VAT | Worst case every text runs to 2 (long names): double these. The first £10 buys about 227 texts plus 75% extra. |
| Toast | £0 | The summary email and the Bookings report are part of Toast Tables already. |
| Hosting | £0 extra | Its own app on our existing staging server, at themill.staging.kobecreative.co.uk, while we build and test. The live address is decided later. Inbound email on a free tier (to confirm). |
| Route | Build | Toast cost | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended: our own toolBookings from the summary email, quick-add and the report | about 6 to 8 days | £0 | Everything on this page as its own app: its own code, deploy and staff passcode, then intake, menu admin, guest pages, kitchen email and print, place cards, texts and reminders. |
| Plus a live menu from Toast | +1.5 to 2.5 days | monthly, unpublished | Prices, options and 86'd dishes follow the till. Ask the pub's Toast rep for the UK "API Monthly Subscription" price. |
| Plus orders into Toast | +3 to 5 days | quote from the rep | Pre-orders land on the KDS as unpaid future orders. Needs testing on live service. |
| Buy instead: Collins or ResDiary pre-ordersCollins Evo from £149 a month per site | setup only | £0 | Off the shelf with reminders, deposits and place cards, but the pub's bookings have to move off Toast Tables, and neither feeds Toast. |
The build is our estimate, not a quote. As one more screen in an existing app it was about 4 to 6 days. As its own app it needs about 2 days more: about a day to set up its code, staging deploy and backups, half a day for the staff passcode sign-in, and half a day to build the staff screens from scratch rather than on parts that already exist.
Before launch: update the pub's privacy notice for the texts, the page, guest names and how long we keep them (names and notes deleted 14 days after the visit, the phone after 30), and sign processor terms with the text and email providers.