You can’t fling a baguette in London these days without hitting a Gail’s Bakery. The posh chain has been steadily on the rise in the capital, opening branches in Walthamstow, Hackney, Stoke Newington, Primrose Hill and more over the past year.
Now, the chain loved for its cinnamon buns and chicken sandwiches has just been crowned Bakery Retailer of the Year in the Baking Industry Awards 2025. Gail’s beat finalists Bird Bakery, Lidl, and M&S to clinch the top title.
The Baking Industry Awards judged bakeries across the UK with mystery shoppers, looking at quality of food, drinks, ingredients and customer service. Top spot in the Craft Bakery Business of the Year category was awarded to Grant’s in Northumberland.
Gail’s’ astronomical rise in the UK (it now has 170 sites in the country) was partially to thank for the win. It was also praised for its use of ‘diverse grains’, British farming and its ‘knowledgeable and enthusiastic’ staff members.
Photograph: cktravels.com / Shutterstock.com
‘Having been named a finalist last year, the business forged ahead on its strategic vision to “make exceptional craft baking a part of every community”, making some serious progress on the way,’ said the Baking Industry Awards. ‘This includes adding more than 30 new sites to its estate.’
‘It’s clear to see the mission-led business strategy is working,’ said one judge, adding that the ‘focus on delivering good food sustainably and not compromising on this shows great responsibility within the industry’.
List of Gail’s locations in London’s Zone 1 and 2
- Hampstead, 8 Hampstead High Street, NW3 1QH
- Marylebone, 8 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4PE
- Fitzrovia, 23 Tottenham Street, W1T 4RJ
- Soho, 128 Wardour Street, W1F 8ZL
- Covent Garden, 2 Neal’s Yard, WC2H 9DP
- Shoreditch, 64 Redchurch Street, E2 7DP
- Kings Cross, 1 Granary Square, N1C 4AA
- Islington, 305-307 Upper Street, N1 2TU
- Clapham, 35 Clapham High Street, SW4 7TB
- Battersea, 146 Battersea Park Road, SW11 4NA
- Hackney, 91 Broadway Market, E8 4QJ
- Marble Arch, 4-6 Seymour Place, W1H 7NA
- Buckingham Palace Road, 22-24 Buckingham Palace Road, SW1W 0QP
- Spitalfields, 11 Lamb Street, E1 6EA
- Neo Bankside, 70 Holland Street, SE1 9NX
- Baker Street, 240-242 Baker Street, W1U 6TR
- St John’s Wood, 5 Circus Road, NW8 6PD
- South Kensington, 45 Thurloe Street, SW7 2LQ
- Maida Vale, 237 Elgin Avenue, W9 1NJ
- Notting Hill, 138 Portobello Road, W11 2DZ
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