A couple have swapped glamorous careers on screen to run a cosy coffee shop. Jill Penfold is a Los Angeles-trained actor who has appeared as a body double for many of Hollywood’s top leading ladies, while Justin Lord is a decorated former Royal Marine who had a two-year stint as a health and success coach on ITV’s This Morning.
But now the couple have changed gears entirely, opening Millfields Coffee and Food cafe in a former gardener’s storeroom in the grounds of a former hospital.
The pair opened the business inside the grounds of the former Royal Navy Hospital in Stonehouse, Plymouth, last month – and business has been booming.
“We have taken it over and opened something classy,” said Justin. “We opened on January 6 and revamped it while it was trading. That opened our eyes to what was needed, so we totally gutted the whole inside.”
Jill is a trained and award-winning actor who worked in Shakespearean and Jacobean theatre, before heading to Los Angeles with a scholarship to study at the famous Lee Strasberg TV and Film School. Becoming a trained stunt performer specialising in handguns and assault weapons, she has doubled for many of Hollywood’s top leading ladies.
When Covid hit in 2020 and the world ground to a halt, Jill left sunny California for the UK – where she met Justin.
He said: “She flew back with her dog, and lived with her parents, expecting to move back – but met me and stayed.”
Justin is a former Royal Marine, who winning the coveted King’s Badge as best recruit after joining up aged 17. He left the forces after 12 years, during which he saw active service in Iraq, and became a fitness expert, leading to a career as a TV fitness expert. Appearing as a health and success coach on ITV’s This Morning for two years, he also appeared on Channel 5’s Live with Gabby and on the Discovery Channel, as well as in newspapers and magazines including The Daily Mirror. He’s also took part in a 1,000-mile, marathon-a-day run from Launceston to Edinburgh for Make-A-Wish UK.
But they now operate from a tiny four-square-metre hut which was built in the late 1800s and was used to store gardening equipment at the Grade II-listed hospital, which opened in 1762. It had been used by businesses before, including as a cafe, after the hospital closed in 1995 and was turned into homes and business units.
“Over one weekend we revamped it again. We stripped it back. It’s got a chimney breast and a fireplace. We left the orientation of everything but it needed changing, so we worked on the plumbing, electrics and carpentry,” said Justin.
“It’s about a heritage preserved and a community revitalised, blending the site’s fascinating history with modern-day convenience.
“It’s a vibrant hub serving fresh barista coffee, handmade meals, and convenience essentials to residents, businesses, and visitors.
“We wanted to start by making ourselves known to the community inside the Millfields walls, but now are beginning to push out, open the layers of the onion, work from a central core and expand.”
The new cafe has space for between five and 100 guests, and can host meetings and events.
Offerings include freshly brewed barista coffee made from Bristol-roasted beans, speciality teas, and food including jacket potatoes, baguettes, and salads.
The couple also run coffee shops in leisure centres in Ivybridge, Tavistock and Frome.
“We are quite experienced,” said Justin.
And they have big plans. “We’ll start doing events in the summer,” said Justin. “We want to give businesses the opportunity to have stalls in the car park, outside the cafe. Then small businesses can promote themselves.”
Jill said: “We’re proud to breathe new life into this special space. The Millfields is a remarkable site, and we’re honoured to continue its story by creating a space where people can gather, enjoy great food and drink, and connect.”
Justin is a former Royal Marine, who winning the coveted King’s Badge as best recruit after joining up aged 17. He left the forces after 12 years, during which he saw active service in Iraq, and became a fitness expert, leading to a career as a TV fitness expert. Appearing as a health and success coach on ITV’s This Morning for two years, he also appeared on Channel 5’s Live with Gabby and on the Discovery Channel, as well as in newspapers and magazines including The Daily Mirror. He’s also took part in a 1,000-mile, marathon-a-day run from Launceston to Edinburgh for Make-A-Wish UK.
The new cafe has space for between five and 100 guests, and can host meetings and events.
Offerings include freshly brewed barista coffee made from Bristol-roasted beans, speciality teas, and food including jacket potatoes, baguettes, and salads.
The couple also run coffee shops in leisure centres in Ivybridge, Tavistock and Frome.
“We are quite experienced,” said Justin.
And they have big plans. “We’ll start doing events in the summer,” said Justin. “We want to give businesses the opportunity to have stalls in the car park, outside the cafe. Then small businesses can promote themselves.”
Jill said: “We’re proud to breathe new life into this special space. The Millfields is a remarkable site, and we’re honoured to continue its story by creating a space where people can gather, enjoy great food and drink, and connect.”