Gail’s has confirmed the opening dates for three new bakeries in London this winter. The chain is currently undergoing rapid expansion across London after co-founder Tom Molnar revealed in November plans to open 30-40 new locations across the UK by 2025.
But this has not come without controversy. Some celebrate the arrival of an upscale bakery and cafe chain in their neighborhood as a sign that it’s on the rise, while others argue that the business is targeting areas that already have independent bakeries, thereby attracting some of its customers.
Regardless of which side of the debate you fall on, it’s clear that London is a key focus for Gail’s upcoming plans. The next two locations to open in London will be in Southwark and Primrose Hill on Thursday 30 January.
The former will be located in the old fire station on Southwark Bridge Road. The business applied in September for permission to make minor alterations to the Grade II-listed unit. It will be the seventh Gail’s to open in the SE1 postcode, with nearby locations in Waterloo, Blackfriars and Bankside.
Gail’s is to open its Primrose Hill bakery in a vacant site opposite The Engineer Pub in Gloucester Avenue, previously occupied by a delicatessen. This has been perhaps the most controversial of all three openings, with many residents expressing their fear of how much it would affect beloved city bakeries.
One told the Camden New Journal that independent businesses are “the glue that holds the community together,” and discouraged people from visiting the chain bakery.
The Stoke Newington facility opens its doors on Thursday 27 February. It will be in an empty unit on Stoke Newington Church Street previously occupied by an Indian restaurant which closed in February last year.
There are already 14 cafes, bakeries and delicatessens on the popular route linking Stoke Newington High Street with Clissold Park. Like Primrose Hill, some businesses in this proudly independent area also expressed their concerns about losing customers, but others believe it could actually benefit them by attracting more people to the area.
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