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BM Caterers’ smooth switch to AI self-checkout
About BM Caterers
BM Caterers (formerly Bartlett Mitchell) - part of the WSH group - , is a premium workplace caterer delivering fresh, seasonal food in high-pressure environments, from corporate offices to 24/7 service sites. Since 2000, BM has built a strong reputation for combining quality, sustainability, and quality service.
They serve 40,000 customers every day, in nearly a hundred locations across the UK. But as footfall patterns and expectations changed, they began looking for smarter ways to serve their customers.
Shrink, staffing & speed: Fixing the flaws in traditional self-checkout
BM had long used traditional self-checkout tills across this prestigious retail client’s estate. They worked, but not without friction. 24/7 sites with high volumes and varying dish compositions struggled to maintain speed and accuracy at the tills. And while the checkout stations were functional, they weren’t foolproof: shrink was creeping up, queues were forming, and staff had to regularly step in to assist or supervise.
It became clear that a better system was needed: one that could flex across multiple sites without increasing the workload for operations teams.
This led to a collaboration with Deligo, and a trial that kicked off at the headquarters of a logistics specialist in Crewe and a London-based law firm. Here’s what BM’s Managing Director had to say about it:
“I have seen a couple of demos of the Deligo smart tills now and have to say I was massively impressed with how the tech has evolved since the very early days of AI tills. This trial gives us a fantastic opportunity to now see how the tills work in practice in busy environments and also how they are received by both our customers and team members alike.”
BM’s goals were to automate routine cashier tasks, reduce queues, minimise product recognition errors (a key driver of shrink), and free up staff to focus on higher-value customer interactions.
According to BM's own findings (as reported in The Caterer), the new AI self-checkout trial reduced queueing times significantly, improved transaction accuracy, and saw strong adoption rates from both customers and staff.
Rolling out the new checkout technology
One of the biggest surprises? Just how little friction the switch involved.
Deligo’s team handled the deployment end-to-end with its tried, tested and trusted ‘white glove’ mobilisation. Our team took care of the hardware, the configuration and calibration, all before the first meal was even served. Unlike typical tech rollouts, there was no long onboarding process for the staff. Training new meals took minutes, not hours.
“Rolling out the kiosks was surprisingly smooth. The training is simple and the tech is intuitive. Training the daily changing menu items only takes seconds, so our team easily adapted to these new tasks.”
Equally critical was the support. The catering industry never stops, and BM needed tech partners who could keep pace with that.
“In a 24/7 business, support isn’t optional. Deligo’s team is there whenever we need them. Having the dedicated WhatsApp support is hugely helpful & our team all feel confident knowing that they have this unrivalled support at their fingertips. The hands-on approach during the white-glove deployment process made all the difference, Deligo took care of the entire set-up from start to finish.”
Future-proofing foodservice
The success at the trial and other early sites are shaping how BM thinks about innovation at scale.
As operations teams look to develop their workflows and respond to increasing demand for tech-enabled experiences, AI self-checkout is no longer just a trial: it’s becoming part of the standard.
“Moving away from traditional self-checkout to visual self-checkout helped us cut shrink, drive sales, and unlock cost savings, all without disrupting our operations. Put simply, the kiosks just work, even in complex use cases like ours where we have individually priced items all on the same plate.
We’ve tailored the Deligo system to the different sites within the group with almost no operational adjustments. That level of adaptability is rare and crucial when you’re managing multiple operations across the business who all have their own unique nuances."
BM are rolling out Deligo to all of the national retailers sites across the UK as a result of the successful trial, each with their own service model, menu structure, and unique needs. These sites now operate their checkout using solely Deligo kiosks. Their customers have a better experience, sales & ATV have increased, shrink has reduced & the local catering teams can focus on more valuable tasks.
The flexibility of the Deligo system makes it easier for BM to stay agile without compromising the core values they’re known for: great food, great service, and operational efficiency.
