Innovation in Calderdale

Really pleased to see it all newly decorated, comfy new chairs . All new friendly staff . Very happy after an earlier disastrous visit with the old staff a few months ago . Very happy with all the new changes. Menu looks good, we will be back soon for lunch .

My mother was visiting from down south and I wanted her to see this shop which is lovely I adore everything in the shop, we thought the cafe looked nice so decided to get lunch It was empty but took a good ten minutes for the staff to take my order off b just 3 items, full breakfast, pancakes and a toastie, half hour later my breakfast came slightly overdone and lukewarm, ten mins after that my mother got her pancakes, 15 mins after that my fiancé got her toasty and it was not what I ordered Avoid the cafe but do visit the shop

This is one of my favourite places in hebden bridge but service has gone so downhill. I waited ages to be served and was only second in the queue. There was a lot of faffing by waiting staff. Ordered a bit of lunch and a tea. I wasn't offered any sugar, this used to be on the counter for customers to help themselves. After I had been served, the staff member went into the back and another staff member was serving someone else. I eventually got his attention and got my sugar. I went to sit outside with my tea and discovered I didn't have a teaspoon. Cutlery used to be on the counter for customers to help themselves, but weren't this time. I heard a lady complain that her coffee wasn't nice and that it was bitter. It wasn't even busy but they seemed to be struggling with keeping the pace with only a small number of tables occupied. There used to be a mature man front of house who seemed to have everything done to military precision. Not exactly cheap neither. £10+ for a pot of tea and baked potato. The baked potato. Hmm. It hadn't been scooped put and fluffed inside and had a tiny amount of cheese and bacon on top so after I'd eaten that, all I was eating was potato. It was dry. Good job I had that cup of tea minus a teaspoon to wash it down with. After the lady had complained about her bitter coffee earlier, I didn't think it was worth complaining. The staff don't seem to be the sort that really care anyway. I'll chalk it down to experience. Really, really disappointed. Won't be back, which is a real shame as I used to thoroughly enjoy my visits. The only plus for me now about this place is the outdoor seating by the river.

Fantastic meal at Innovation that good we’ve been twice while we’ve stayed over here on Saturday and Tuesday . Lovely food attentive and professional and friendly service and a great gift shop .Couldn’t fault anything . Thank you very much to all the team at Innovation. We’ll definitely be back when we’re up here again.

Went on Saturday as we usually do .the jacket potatoes were cold with small amount of topping .the service was terrible. The new people haven't got a clue what they are doing .we will not be going back

An excellent place for an excellent meal. The staff are outstanding especially Angela and Nigel. I can highly recommend.

This spot is perfect for what I call harmless café food. This is the sort of food you would find in most English café, but done well, served in decent portions and is fresh. Although the decor is dated and a bit of modernising wouldn't hurt, the café sticks to its humble, unpretentious routes and is a nice quiet, retreat by the river. It is a good place to be anonymous, away from the bustle of town (although central)....but equally you might get chatting to locals and passers by like I have on more than one occasion because it supports that atmosphere! Recommend for families, the elderly, those looking for quiet and it is neuro-divergent and disability friendly. Please never play loud music like other places do. Quiet cafes are dying and you are are example of a place who keeps chance conversation alive. Props.

What can I say? I love this place! The man behind the counter is a superstar! He makes a good pot of tea! The food is always great. This time I went, there was a verbal altercation between I think the owner and the staff. The owner should really treat his staff better. They're a good bunch who obviously work very hard and keep things ticking over even at the busiest of times. Anyway, I will be back as this is fast becoming my favourite place in Hebden Bridge!

Called in for coffee and snack, the staff were excellent, friendly and helpful, although busy we got our snacks quickly and they were nice. Place was spotless and tables cleared quick so you got a clean table many thanks

On a beautiful day for your first time visit to Hebron Bridge to come across this wonderful place cleanliness service second to none and the food well that was just superb we had the jacket potato 🥔 with cheese and beans and a lovely coffee and tea inside there was a beautiful atmosphere you have to walk through another little shop to get to the cafe where we bought a little memory of our visit this won’t be the last time we visit thank you 🙏

We don't live in Hebden Bridge but frequently come and stay here. Just love this place, staff so friendly and food is perfect. Visited today and had chicken and mushroom curry, absolutely the best we have ever tasted. The scones are also delicious but need to go early if ypu want them they sell out very quickly.

Lovely menu with added specials, warm and cold foods as well as a range of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages. friendly atmosphere, importantly for me it’s dog friendly with a great outdoor area for nice weather…I visit with both family and on my own with my puppy and always receive a warm welcome and tasty food, recommend the bacon, brie and cranberry toastie…

A real find. Limited menu but everything looked really good and could not fault our sandwiches. Great selection of herbal teas and the Americano was excellent. Very pleasant and welcoming service from the staff.

The cafe is quite spacious and has seating outside, front and back. Food is unimaginative and basic. However, the staff don't seem to know how to provide customer service. One poor staff member seemed to be doing all the work and it showed on her sullen face, whilst three others swanned about, leaving her to cope with a queue of waiting customers.

Lovely cafe with lovely food and staff. Outside dining is lovely with the river behind and working cogs. Definitely worth a visit just for the homemade cakes

This was a first visit to Hebden Bridge and everywhere was very busy. It would be easy not to notice Innovation because the outside seating looks like it might belong to the Italian restaurant in the premises above. Luckily we realised there was a cafe hidden behind the shop. The staff couldn’t have been any more polite or friendly. We had jacket potatoes so nothing adventurous and they were exactly as they should be. Reasonable prices and pleasant outdoor seating.

Went into this shop and the old woman that worked there was extremely rude. She basically told me to get out because my toddler was with me holding a bun in his hand. Felt like I was crap on her shoe! Ruined my day out. Never go in there with children. Clearly they don't like them.

The cream tea had a choice of lovely large fruit scones with jam, butter and a pot of clotted cream with tea or coffee for only £7:50 for the two of us, excellent value and served in a warm quirky cafe overlooking the water wheel that was still working and staff that have a smile on their faces, what more do you wish for....Thank,s J.A.

Food was lovely when it finally arrived. Had to queue for 15 minutes to order and then it took ages to arrive. Staff flippant about wait times .....

We visited on a wet Wednesday in August. Our small granddaughter is always interested in the water wheel and turbine which is spectacular. Mr Fletcher was kind enough to take time to explain the environmental work he is undertaking and how he is looking to future improvements. The food is good too- not to be missed. Thank you.

The cafe has outside seating which is great for people watching whilst enjoying hot and cold drinks, cakes, ice creams etc. The staff are friendly and it's well worth a visit.

We enjoyed excellent soup and a sandwich for lunch here sat in the sunshine just off St Georges Square. Good service and good food

Got met at train by our friends who are very much Local. We wanted light lunch and they took us to Innovation. There were only three tales outside and all occupied, but they said there is nice garden in the back which is normally quiet. They were right. The casual visitor would not know its there. We ordered couple sandwiched and couple of salads. The chopped ham with melted cheese is very tasty as is the goatcheese. For me not goaty enough but my partner loved it. You can listen to sound of running water while enjoying the meal, this comes from the water turbine which provides electricity for all establishment in the Mill House.

Each time we visit Hebden Bridge we visit this cafe. In a great location and lovely environment. The food is always lovely and a great selection. The hot drinks are quite small but still a nice cafe. We'd never sat by mill wheel before so that was a nice change.

We enjoyed a proper mug of coffee here in the cafe indoors, although there is room to sit outdoors. There are little private shops with tasteful gifts/cards to peruse too.

I brought my friend to this cafè as I had had previous experience which was always excellent.I don't know whether these are new owners but they weren't the people running it on my previous visits.My friend ordered the Ploughmans lunch which looked cheap, pale and half hearted. I ordered the chilli and rice.I couldn't possibly eat it; there was really poor quality, gristly meat which I was relieved was at a minimum content, the sauce was thin and flavourless and the rice, also of poor quality was swimming in water!I returned the plate of 'food' as it was, in my opinion - inedible.The woman I spoke with about this was rude and confrontational.I was left stood with the plate whilst she went into the back where I clearly could hear her aggressively and loudly saying about how I was 'insulting the food`, after yet another aggressive (on her part) 'conversation', flouncing like a stroppy teenager,she gave us the money back for my food.I was very embarrassed for my friend and embarrassed for the catering trade of which I have spent most of my working life in.Had this woman been one of my staff, she would have been sacked on the spot.Perhaps a course in Customer service is needed here.No wonder it was empty of Customers, we will not return. There are too many good eateries in Hebden Bridge for this place to be complacent.

Had a very nice lunch here, sat outside in the early spring sunshine! The service was great and the menu was good, but there’s definitely scope for a bit more choice and innovation to make it even better. Would recommend, and definitely revisit. The gift shop is also a great place to visit, with plenty of lovely products including lots of locally made options.

Great beers, snacks & atmosphere. Will definitely return. Arrived 12 noon & the place filled up really quickly so obviously very popular 👍😀

Very casual service with tables left uncleared and no effort made to serve customers. Papers available but a little too busy for their own good.

Went for lunch with a friend. The food was great and the girl who served us was very pleasant and evidently happy. We didn’t wait long for our food which was fresh and tasty. This place is worth a look for the environmental things they have in place. This carries over in to the food and drink they serve. Conscious but without compromising quality. Very nice hour spent eating and talking. Thank you to the girl who served us with a genuine smile. She seemed to care about each customer and was polite and friendly.

Had the falafel platter which seemed very poor quality. The falafel were like sawdust when cut in to, the olives very mediocre and only one pita bread. Hummus was fine. Mint sauce very sweet. Overall quite shoddy for the price.

Lovely cafe, we sat outside with our bikes. Nice coffees and great selection of homemade cakes, can highly recommend the lemon and elderflower cake. Reasonable prices will visit again

We must have arrived on a bad day. Service was very slow and all the specials sold out! We were warned of a 25 minute deal. but it was much longer than that. The food was OK. We asked for no coleslaw but it came anyway. A frustrating visit as it reduced the time we had to explore the town.

Quirky shop, good food with outside terrace overlooking the river. Had a nice cup of tea and a sausage sandwich.

Visited this place for years, and I mean that , from the 1980's right up to this week. Lovely food and a good selection of gifts. Stay inside to see the old technology of the water wheel, then step outside for the state of the art Arcamedes screw which supplies the whole building with its energy requirements.

In the centre of Hebden Bridge located at the back of the gift shop with outside seating area at the rear. The cafe/tearoom caters for vegans and vegetarians. They serve speciality teas/coffees and alcoholic beverages. There is a nice selection of cakes and a daily specials board.

We found a good and interesting choice of food for our lunch here on a rainy day. The place is festooned with large informative boards showing the history of the original mill at the location. I looked at all of them and the mill wheel itself turning in its container. A fascinating little place indeed, I enjoyed the story of 'Stephen the Miller' who, as the boards depict, was something of a 14th Century prickly character.

In our family everyone has such different tastes in food that it can be difficult to find somewhere suitable for lunch when we meet, however, Innovation had something for each of us. Our order included a hot steak baguette, a moroccan lamb dish with rice, a jacket potato with cheese, and a vegetarian salad with walnuts, goats cheese and beetroot. There always seems to be an interesting specials board here, in addition to a fairly standard cafe menu, so there is something to suit most tastes. Everything we had was delicious, beautifully prepared, and we would happily go back for lunch again.

We had pannies which were freshly cooked and tasty. Close to the market car park ( if you can get a space) . Parking in H Bridge can be a nightmare, especially at weekends and market day so avoid if possible. Lots of cafes in the area to try too.

A nice place to go for a light meal such as soup and a cheese scone. Staff are always friendly and courteous . I wish they would do something about toilet facilities which are up steep stairs. and are not at all suitable for disabled .Now that my wife is disabled I will think twice before making return visits

Our grandson always insist on going to Innovations for food when we are able too.

We have visited Hebden Bridge lots of times but have not, previously, found this delightful cafe. It is tucked away at the back of a gift shop but worth seeking out. Everything is freshly made and all looks tempting - we had the homemade soup of the day, which was an excellent leek and broccoli. It was served with a choice of breads - can highly recommend the cheese scones and granary rolls, fresh from the oven. Nothing was too much trouble for them and there seemed to be a good crowd of ‘locals’ in the cafe, which is always a good sign. Its very spacious any light and certainly we would recommend stopping here if you are a group of four or more as, often in Hebden Bridge, the cafe’s are very tiny and only suitable for couples. Here, they serve food until 4:30pm, closing around 5:30pm and also have a selection of beers and wines, which is a nice touch. We will all definitely return!! A special thanks for the delicious homemade horseradish sauce!!

What a quaint place to visit. You can see the water wheel or have lunch by the river. There is a good selection of food including healthy (humours salad) & not so healthy (bacon sandwich), but something for everyone. Friendly staff.

There are dozens of great eating places in Hebden Bridge and I was rather disappointed that my husband chose this one. That's the problem with giving people a choice - they often don't pick the one you wanted :-) It's a cafe tucked at the...

He visitado anteriormente, así que decidí volver. Una cafetería en la planta baja detrás de una tienda de regalos. No es fácil acceso para discapacitados. Los inodoros subiendo un tramo de escaleras. Hacen una taza de té y de craqueo es un lugar popular. Lo recomiendo si no tienes problemas de movilidad.

Tienda fantástica y hermosa cafetería! Conocí la familia aquí y tuvimos unos cuantos platos, tapas, sopas y tartas de frutas té! Mejor magdalenas kilómetros!

Un paseo por la tarde soleado domingo era por una tarta y una bebida fría a un precio razonable.

He benn visitar este lugar encantador por más de 4 años. El café es excelente que sirve una fresca comida casera. Es estupenda para los niños, ya que tiene el original en que mi rueda de niños siempre me encantó ver. El personal es estupendo y me hacen sentir bienvenido, y la comida siempre es deliciosa.

El menú tiene declaraciones impactantes sobre la dieta. Comer más carne, lácteos y huevos? Dónde están recibiendo tales ideas? ? Ver fotos de las páginas de menú. Se debe evitar que tales temores infundados, incluso peligroso - consejos sobre su menú!

Visitamos primero por una bebida caliente, reviviendo la media mañana en un día helado. solitarios, Muy atractivo, una decoración de buen gusto y el entorno, con personal encantador y amable. Delicioso café y té. Así que un par de horas más tarde, regresamos para el almuerzo! Mi frittata era delicioso y la col muy sabroso. Sirve porciones generosas, bien por un precio muy razonable: ¿qué? Y tienen una rueda y un tornillo archimedean!

First, visit to innovation was not happy. Poor customer service and unfamiliar with the produce that was been sold. In my opinion the cafe needs to be more friendly and welcoming to its customers. It needs to develop some training for its staff in dealing with members of the public for example eye contact, look like you want to be at work, etc. I left innovation feeling quite cross and dissatisfied with the food which was also not brilliant. This cafe would be better with friendly waitress /waiter service instead of self service. This cafe does not make use of the beautiful location.

I came with friend, we ordered separately and the three other people I was with ordered from the menu. As I got to the till (I was stood directly behind my friend) they told me that they had stopped taking hot food orders. I found this very odd as 30seconds before someone had ordered hot food. I then sat with my group with nothing to eat. The staff could clearly see that we were a group and I felt that this was poor customer service. After one of our group explained that we were together they went to ask the chef. They came and said I could order. I did not understand their reasoning behind this? I understand that places have service times but I found this quite ridiculous. The group I was with offered to cancel their orders but I did not want them to have mess about so I insisted that we stay. I was upset with the way they handled the situation. They did come out and offer me a jacket potato but this was done in a way as though they were doing me a favour. Sorry but I am not likely to be coming back again.

Drinks & Cakes were nice, shame the service was appalling, waitress twice forgot what I'd asked for. Took 10 mins to get 2 drinks + 2 cakes and I was second in the queue! Management need to wise up - only praising good posts and ignoring constructive criticism freely given to make THEIR business more efficient and successful.

I come here regularly but it's always a bit disappointing. The best thing about it is that it's cheap. However, they don't really know how to make a cappuccino, the staff behind the counter are superslow and disorganised. A simple drinks order takes forever, tables don't get cleared. Only order food if you've got 30 minutes at least. They're amateurish, really.

We visited for drinks only so cannot comment on the food.The working waterwheel is a welcome distraction for younger members of the group. The hot drinks were good for the rest of the group

Visited with a group of friends. I had to clear the table whilst the waitress was chatting to her friend. We had to ask her to wipe the table. There were 5 of us eating and all the meals were brought to us separately so not able to all eat together. The corned beef pie was served lukewarm and had to be sent back. No apologies were given. The décor could do with an upgrade and staff need training on customer service. No smiles from any of them. The only great thing about this visit were the friends I was with.Speaking only for myself I will certainly not be going back here.

Lovely coffee, cakes and snacks. Set in an old mill at the back of a nice gift shop, with a reasonable amount of seating. Nice friendly staff. Always busy. Nice atmosphere.

had a lovely platter which was great different cheese which I never had great value for money enother for 2 people lovely coffee great staff very helpful with me having food allergies. you can see the mill wheel going round which is great

Shop has lots of interesting gifts and gadgets. They have a small coffee shop next door and could be ewrth visiting again.

came here to do a bit of shopping before we headed homethe staff are all so lovely & friendlyitems are very reasonably prices & uniquecould easily spend all day in this shop can't wait to return

My daughter and I often go here for food and a quick look around the shop. The food is always lovely but today is was exceptionally good. Can get very busy at times and can be hard to find a seat but when the weather is nice there is outside seating overlooking the river.The food is well priced and the staff are always polite and helpful.Keep an eye on the specials board, some of the selections on there are scrumptiousWould definitely recommend and will be returning again soon.

I've visited Innovation many times as I live locally. This is an exceptional place with a great menu, friendly staff and a real atmosphere. The gift shop is amazing and, no matter how many times I visit, there's always lots of new products to be found. Great for last-minute presents or something for a special birthday/anniversary. Well done to all of you for keeping up such high standards all of the time!

I enjoyed a bowl of piping-hot freshly-made lentil soup, served with rich, buttery garlic bread. This was a quick visit before I went for my train home, but will return to sample the lovely tapas and the delicious cakes!A very pleasant central spot, peaceful and friendly.

Like much of Hebden Bridge, this place is recovering from the recent severe floods - unlike some of its rivals, it is open for business and very busy, almost to the point of being crowded.We enjoyed our lunch here. There was plenty of choice, the food came reasonably quickly, and the price was very reasonable indeed. In the past I have only been in here for a drink, but having sampled the food would be glad to return any time. Apart from 'traditional' food they also do tapas.

We called at lunch time and almost all the tables were full which is good news for the owners. We decided to eat elsewhere and come back later for coffee and cake. It was much quieter at 3pm and the cappuccino and latte coffees were excellent. Not much choice left in the cake department but we had lemon meringue - it was ok but more like marshmallow than meringue - must have used the Italian recipe :) The service was very average - no smile or greeting.So pleased to see the town slowly returning to normal after the devastating floods. Hope the tourists come back soon in droves. Do try this place.It's quaint and interesting.

At the back of the gift shop is a very good coffee shop. Now it serves light lunches as well as different coffees and home made cakes. The soup is very good and home made.

Visited on a cold February afternoon. With most of the town still recovering from the winter floods this place has a captive audience. Yet while the place has been tastefully restored, and worth spending some time at, it is lacking on the coffee front.Ordered a cappuccino and latte. While latter was fine the cappuccino was essentially a filter coffee with froth. Once you started on it the foam disappeared and I might as well have been drinking, well, a standard filter coffee. Such a pity as the earl grey cake we had was excellent.

felt like I had stepped back in time ... gruby tables, sticky menu, sticky floor. un inviting food , serve yourself pushig your tray round on metal runners. only had cup of tea as couldn't face the food and didn't want to appear rude to the rest of the party in the group. perhaps the floods will have done it a favour as they will have had to give it a good clean and perhaps a refurb!!

Back in action following the floods. Just the same and you would never know the floods had been, well done !Basic lunch and coffee stop in the centre of town. Always busy and popular so may need to queue to place your order.

This is well situated in Hebden with a good selection of snacks, light meals, cakes etc. On nice days you can sit outside by the river. Good value for good basic food.

A trip to Hebden Bridge wouldn't be the same without a visit to Innovation with its lovely cafe and waterwheel. The shop is well stocked with lovely and unusual items too. Can't wait to visit again!

Friendly place for a coffee and sandwich and a nice place to chat.Shops adjacent so even better excuse.

This café is tucked away right in the corner of Hebden 's square so it's very central and handy .The shop sells cards, jewellery and handbags etc. The smell of lovely candles welcomes you at the door .Through there , you come to the café , with new high comfortable seating ,and some smaller tables and chairs .The centre piece is the old Water Wheel ,and the walls of the café tell the local history from years gone by .You can buy Tapas , soups , cakes , sandwiches and an assortment of drinks.The staff are very pleasant and you don't feel rushed .There is no ground floor toilet .There is limited seating outside where you can sit if you have a pet , and some tables at the back of the café which are by the stream and very picturesque .

A very good coffee shop tucked away behind the main shop selling all manner of things. They have daily dishes and specials available most days but they make a good cup of coffee with various brews available. Good and fairly central to the pedestrianised square, it is set in an old Mill with the river running past at the side. Places to eat out at the back when the weather is good. Nicely decorated with lots of Arty things and Paintings for sale usually on the walls. Pleasant place to rest a while.

Slightly hidden away but just off main square, entered via a small shopping area. An interesting building with history to view ! Has a good specials board but these can sell out quick. Good value with choice.

Visited this 'fuel stop' several times. Lunchtime specials really varied,freshly cooked and well-presented. Family friendly and very relaxed atmosphere. Staff always cheery - even at busy times. Well worth a stop.

We went for coffee and cake its reasonable a nice selection of cakes and scones.it would be a nicer experience if it had a update .the toilets need updating also, its outdoor seating is through the café onto a terrace and the view is lovely of the river you can also sit at the front looking onto the square .the staff are nice you have to queue at the counter and on a busy day its difficult by the time you get served your seats have been taken, so waitress service would be nice, the menu looked good and prices reasonable. the gift shop on the premises is well worth a look around.

We visit here several times a month for lunch as the food is always high quality and excellent value, staff are friendly, always clean plus there's a history lesson on the walls!!!

Set in a 700 year old mill with a view of the wheel, this should have been a great experience. But the tired old tables, chairs and grotty old toilets made it less tan it could have been.I had the good-value soup and cheese scone, and both were good. I just felt that this place could use tarting up, and the toilets in particular, which were like some sort of throwback, all worn out old doors and floors.I had a view of the water though and it was nice and warm so there were some positives!

It's ordinary, coffee is ok and that pretty describes everything else. The earl grey tea bread is good and I like the outdoor space. It opens later that some of the others so that's a bonus on occasion. I think the decor is getting a bit tired and for something special there is much nicer in Hebden.

What a friendly place for a catch up with friends and family. Whilst we only had soups and drinks, we found this to be a relaxing and friendly café where we were not rushed. It is a café with not too much space, but is it very comfortable and welcoming. There was a wider menu and others in the café were enjoying good looking food.

We used to have a reasonable meal here and never went anywhere else in Hebden Bridge. Last year, we had a really bad meal, neither my Husband or I finished it. I never write a bad review on just one visit unless it is REALLY dire. We went a few weeks ago. It was a very hot day and all the cafes and restaurants in St. George's Square were packed and not a spare seat outside any of them. Only one table outside Innovation was taken and only two tables inside. We should have taken note. The food was very average - I would not have served up my chilli or my Husbands sandwich if it had been that standard at home. The Ladies on the next table were trying to catch our eye before we ordered to tell us not to bother as the beef on their sandwich was so tough they took it off. A group of Ladies came out and said, very loudly, "well, that was a waste of time and money". Such a shame but word has obviously got out as it was not busy. A pity. I was about to put some money in the tip dish when I was ordering the food and asked for another glass. I had only ordered one drink as Husband was not thirsty but did want to take a tablet. Waitress was not pleased to give me a second glass and made me feel like a cheapskate. I did not put any money in the dish. If the food had been good, would have gone back. She shot herself in the foot there. Will not be going back to the cafe again. We would have been better served getting a pie or a sandwich from the shop over the road and sitting on a bench.There is a really good shop attached to the cafe though, so do go and have a look there as there are some nice items and I always buy more than I want. Not much room for the wheel chair though which saves me money.