Gail’s Bakery - is it really all that?

[BarrellChested]

When a Gail’s Bakery opened within walking distance of the office where I worked, people could barely contain their excitement. It felt like something magical had been bestowed on us, and I maybe got caught up in the hype.

I was aware of Gail’s before, of course, but had never been to one.

The great day arrived - a few of us went over and it was…… fine. Nice coffee and a decent enough pastry. But nothing beyond what I’ve had at the myriad of other coffee shops in the area.

Yet still my colleagues talk about it in reverential tones. So maybe it’s just me that doesn’t get it.

AIBU?

I also wonder if we need an independent coffee shops thread - post your local (or not local!!) favourite and tell us why you love it!

It was a fad. You only need to look at the data. People were vegan curious and explored the plant based lifestyle. Businesses responded by providing more plant based options. People then got fed up, realised they like their old diet and businesses responded again by no longer bothering. It’s not like there aren’t nice vegan options about, but you are far more likely to find something nice that is full of the ingredients it was supposed to be made with and not full of ultra processed crap.

I thought so! I live near there. It's an obvious candidate for gentrification, being just down the road from Clapham and Balham, but I'm really not sure it ever will be... I actually thought M&S food and Gail's opening here was a sign that these places were dropping their standards, rather than Tooting moving up in the world 😂

Thanks for the tip - will do😀

Not a fad

More a case of like minded people had already switched so there was a slow down

• Surveys show that many people are adopting diets with less animal products, with younger people leading the way.
• Between 2014 and 2019 there was a steep rise as the number of UK vegans quadrupled.
• In 2024, comparison website Findersaid that there were an estimated 2.5 million vegans in the UK (4.7 per cent of the adult population). This is an increase on previous numbers which suggested two to four per cent of UK consumers are vegan.
• Other surveys suggest half of the UK population are cutting down – or cutting out – meat.
• Research carried out by Ipsosreveals that almost half (46 per cent) of Brits aged 16 to 75 are considering reducing their intake of animal products in the future.
• 63 per cent of Britain’s veganshave adopted the lifestyle in the past five years. However, 81 per cent of them were previously vegetarian, so many have been avoiding meat for much longer than this.
• 70 per cent of those surveyed went vegan because of animal-welfare concerns (80 per cent said they thought the way animals are farmed and killed is cruel), 53 per cent had environmental concerns and 27 per cent said personal health was also one of the reasons for going vegan

survey results reported in viva.org.uk

Then wiki siting more surveys

Data on UK dietary trends shows that the core population of strict vegans has actually remained relatively stable, hovering consistently between 2% and 4.7% (about 2.5 to 3.5 million people) since 2019. 1, 2, 3, 4]

While the number of strict vegans hasn't dropped, the overall plant-based market has seen significant shifts.1]

The Shift in UK Vegan Trends
The "Veganuary" effect: High-profile campaigns continue to bring waves of new participants every year, but many casual dieters do not stick to the lifestyle permanently.

Drop in "fake meat" sales: Supermarkets and restaurants have reduced their plant-based product ranges as sales of highly processed meat alternatives plummeted by double digits.

Rise of whole foods: Consumer preference has shifted away from expensive, processed fake meats in favor of cheaper, more accessible whole-food options like tofu, pulses, and vegetables, often driven by the cost-of-living crisis.

The "flexitarian" movement: Instead of strict veganism, many consumers have opted to simply reduce their meat and dairy consumption, with nearly 16% of the UK population following some form of a meat-free diet. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

So whilst the% is small it’s a growing trend amongst younger people
and of course those flexitarians amongst us are helping too

Its sad @AncoraAmarena that you only had one choice.
Shops are getting much better though than in the 80s when there would have been 0.
Onwards and upwards if we continue to write to companies to ask for more choice

Me too

Utter bullshit, as demonstrated by @Givememynameback You carry on chomping on your murder burgers, with your fingers in your ears and your eyes closed.

Trolling
Baiting post

Have reported

It’s one of those places that people who can’t think critically like.

It was £4 for a croissant when I was on maternity leave in Queen’s Park. That was 15 years ago. Can’t imagine what it is now.

I went there more recently to pick up a quick working lunch so I was on expenses and I chose nice things but it was still shit and no change from £30.

Also this, and personally I don’t want to eat in a bakery that allows dogs.

Lego land has been shit for years. Awful place.

There are 3 within walking distance of me. I’m so sick of it tbh. Maybe I’m just tired of it

Sick and tired of what?

I went once and they gave me hot chocolate in a pot, I couldn't hold it because it was hot and there was no handle. The cake I had was very average. I wouldn't go again.

Ours does not welcome dogs. You can take them in to order / get a takeaway but can’t sit in with them.

overhyped if you ask me. find them quite grubby and the pastry was stale. have better independents nearby, but I can see the excitement as in it makes people think this must be a posh area if Gail’s are arriving!

Same - that’s another reason I am not overly keen on Gail’s despite being obsessed with their cinnamon rolls.

If I’m paying that much money I don’t want to be sat next to a dog while eating. I mean I don’t want to be sat next to a dog anyway but especially when I’ve paid a tenner for pastry and coffee. Plus the seats in my local one look uncomfortable. And the tables aren’t clean unless first thing in the morning.

Tbf I’ve never seen a dog in mine but I tend to pop in and out quite quickly. I know it’s dog friendly only due to reading Google reviews of it.

Compared to other chains, it’s good. But compared to local bakeries, I’ve found their baked goods pretty dry and kind of generic in offering. I might have just made bad choices. It’s a pass from me but I do like the hysteria they cause.

yes grubby. Pisses me off when you’re giving a place business and they can’t be bothered to wipe down the tables.

Frankly quality is shit everywhere now, I went to a well known Italian in Covent Garden the other day often recommended on here, it was so average and the tables weren’t level. That annoys me so much but in a place that costs £100 a head it’s unforgivable.

The glass is about waist height, and there is a horizontal section covering the top so you can’t reach over it.

This is one of my local branches (there are 3 within a half mile radius), the bottom right photo shows it reasonably well.Photo

And this isn’t my local one but very similar:

Photo

I am jealous!

I googled my local one and according to some pictures in the reviews the glass screen is slightly higher than I remember, but it definitely doesn’t have a horizontal section covering it.

Exactly. Prices are rising all the while customer service and comfort is declining. This is why I increasingly choose to eat/drink in.

I have a couple of times, in different places. Went to wash my hands after leaving both. Even the water jugs were filthy in Fleet, along with the toilets, seats, floors, windows, and person making the sarnies!