Gail's

Gail's Ltd
Founded2005 (2005)
Founders
  • Gail Mejia
  • Tom Molnar
HeadquartersLondon, England
Number of locations
170
(as of March 2025)
Websitegails.com

Gail's is a British bakery and coffee shop chain. The first shop opened in Hampstead, London, in 2005. As of March 2025, there were 170 branches in the UK. In 2021, Bain Capital and EBITDA Investments acquired a majority stake.

History

Gail's was founded as a wholesale bakery in Hendon, London, by the baker Yael Mejia in the early 1990s, serving businesses in London.[1][2] Mejia was born in Britain and brought up in Israel.[3][4] In 2003, Tom Molnar and Ran Avidan bought half of the business.[2] The first Gail's cafe opened in Hampstead, London, in 2005.[5] The chain expanded with the rise of foodie culture.[5]

The private equity firm Risk Capital Partners invested in Gail's in 2011.[6] In 2021, Bain Capital, a private investment firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, and EBITDA Investments acquired a majority stake in Gail's from Risk Capital Partners. It valued Gail's at £200 million, with the British entrepreneur Luke Johnson retaining a 15% stake.[7] In 2024, Gail's won the Best Coffee Shop/Café Group award at the MCA Hospitality Awards.[8]

Locations

In 2021, all Gail's branches were within a 55-mile (90-kilometre) radius of its central bakery and kitchen in Hendon, London.[9] Gail's expanded to Altrincham, Chester, Didsbury, Knutsford, Manchester, and Wilmslow. There were 131 branches in the UK by August 2024, and 170 by March 2025.[5][10]

Molnar said Gail's sought to open cafes in areas with "thriving neighbourhoods with plenty of families" and that the typical customer had "average or above" income.[2] In the 2024 UK general election, the Liberal Democrats successfully targeted traditionally Conservative constituencies with middle-class and affluent voters who might frequent a Gail's. The Liberal Democrats used the question "Does it have a Gail's?" to identify areas where support could be won.[2]

Products

Gail's is an upmarket coffee shop chain that offers baked products including croissants and cinnamon buns. It uses packaging and branding designed to feel "authentic" and "local", and is associated with middle-class affluence.[2][11]

Gail's has launched various initiatives to reduce food waste, such as selling a sourdough loaf made partially from leftover bread.[12] It partnered with Neighbourly to distribute surplus food in 2023.[13]

In August 2024, Gail's attracted criticism on social media for selling its leftover "twice-baked" chocolate and almond croissants and its almond croissants for £1 more than its fresh croissants. Gail's markets its twice-baked pastries as part of the "Waste Not" range, with the objective being to combat food waste. Some users noted that almond croissants are typically made from old croissants.[11]

Opposition

Luke Johnson, who oversaw Gail's expansion and sale to Bain Capital, supported Brexit and criticised the COVID-19 lockdowns and net-zero initiatives, attracting boycotts against Gail's.[2] In August 2024, a petition objected to Gail’s opening in Walthamstow Village, although other residents welcomed it.[5]

References

  1. ^ Butler, Sarah (2025-11-30). "Bakery chain Gail's plans to open 40 more outlets as sales soar". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-01-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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.
  3. ^ Daisley, Stephen (17 March 2026). "The real reason the Guardian is so hostile to Gail's". Spectator. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  4. ^ "Spicing Things Up". Tablet. 4 February 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d Addley, Esther (2024-08-16). "'There's nowhere else like this': the backlash against plans for a Gail's bakery in Walthamstow". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-01-23.
  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. Retrieved 16 April 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ^ "MCA Hospitality Awards 2025 - 2024 Winners". MCA Hospitality Awards. William Reed Ltd. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ Hooker, Lucy (9 March 2025). "'We don't need a Gail's' - the coffee shop boom dividing locals". Retrieved 9 March 2025.
  11. ^ a b Guinness, Emma (16 August 2024). "Gail's comes under fire after customers told to pay £1 extra for day-old croissants". The Independent.
  12. ^ Holland, Mina (21 November 2018). "Waste bread: Gail's is making the most of yesterday's bake". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  13. ^ Bamford, Vince (31 October 2023). "Gail's partners with Neighbourly to distribute surplus food". British Baker. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
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