Gail's

Gail's Ltd
Founded2005 (2005)[1]
FoundersGail Mejia
Tom Molnar[2]
HeadquartersLondon, England, UK
Number of locations
170
(as of March 2025)[3]
Websitegails.com

Gail's (styled "GAIL's") is a British bakery and coffee shop chain headquartered in London, England.

History

The bakery opened its first shop on Hampstead High Street in 2005 and its 100th in East Sheen in 2022.[1][4]

In 2021, all Gail's branches were within a 55-mile (90-kilometre) radius of its central bakery and kitchen in Hendon.[5] It subsequently expanded to Altrincham, Chester, Didsbury, Knutsford, Manchester, and Wilmslow.

In 2021, Bain Capital, an American private investment firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, acquired a majority stake in Gail's from Risk Capital Partners,[6] valuing Gail's at £200 million, with Luke Johnson retaining a 15% stake.[7]

In March 2025, it was reported that there were 170 outlets, with a further 40 planned to open that year.[3]

Initiatives

Gail's has launched various initiatives to reduce food waste, such as selling a sourdough loaf made partially from leftover bread.[8] It partnered with Neighbourly to distribute surplus food in 2023.[9]

Controversies

Twice-baked pastries

In August 2024, some customers criticised Gail's for selling their leftover "twice-baked" chocolate and almond croissants and indeed their almond croissants for £1 more than their fresh counterparts. The day-old pastries are "soaked in demerara syrup and topped with [their] homemade frangipane spread, alongside crunchy almonds." Gail's market their twice-baked pastries as part of their "Waste Not" range, with the objective being to combat food waste. Another customer stated that it is "standard" for how almond croissants are made.[10]

Prospective bakery opening

In August 2024, residents of Walthamstow Village petitioned to "prevent Gail’s from establishing a store on [its] high street." The village is known for its antiques shop, its tapas deli, and its independent cafés. The petition originator said the brand brought "a risk of overshadowing our much-loved local stores" and that the residents should "together safeguard the soul of our beloved neighbourhood."[11]

In politics

"Does it have a Gail's?" became a political bellwether for the Liberal Democrats in the lead up to the 2024 general election. The political party received their best-ever general election result by "ruthlessly targeting" Conservative constituencies. One metric was the "Does it have a Gail's?" question.[12]

Awards

In 2024, Gail's won the Best Coffee Shop/Café Group award at the MCA Hospitality Awards.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "ABOUT US". Gail's Bread. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
  2. ^ "PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF GAIL'S". Gail's Bread. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
  3. ^ a b Hooker, Lucy (9 March 2024). "'We don't need a Gail's' - the coffee shop boom dividing locals". Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Gail's Bakery reaches 100 store milestone in the UK". World Coffee Portal. 28 October 2022.
  5. ^ "THE BIG INTERVIEW: Brett Parker from Gail's Bakery on kitchen design to captivate customers". Foodservice Equipment Journal. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  6. ^ Mattinson, Alec (15 September 2021). "Gail's Bakery owner Bread Holdings sold to Bain Capital". The Grocer. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
  7. ^ Hancock, Alice; Wiggins, Kaye (14 September 2021). "Bain Capital snaps up suburban bakery-and-café group Gail's". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  8. ^ Holland, Mina (21 November 2018). "Waste bread: Gail's is making the most of yesterday's bake". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  9. ^ Bamford, Vince (31 October 2023). "Gail's partners with Neighbourly to distribute surplus food". British Baker. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  10. ^ Guinness, Emma (16 August 2024). "Gail's comes under fire after customers told to pay £1 extra for day-old croissants". The Independent.
  11. ^ Addley, Esther (16 Aug 2024). "'There's nowhere else like this': the backlash against plans for a Gail's bakery in Walthamstow". The Guardian.
  12. ^ Stewart, Heather (22 August 2024). "'Does it have a Gail's?' How a bakery became middle-class England's most powerful political bellwether". The Guardian.
  13. ^ "MCA Hospitality Awards 2025 - 2024 Winners". MCA Hospitality Awards. William Reed Ltd. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.