Chic London bake-chain Gail’s opens in Leamington Spa

Leamington Spa has added the bakery chain Gail’s (stylised GAIL’S) to its collection of cafes after the opening of a branch in the town centre. 

The bakery opened at 91 Regent Street, just off the parade, on 22 January. Apprentice star Raj Chohan purchased the property in 2021, and her husband described buying it as “a bit of a gamble”. However, after many planning setbacks, work started in early 2024 to open the bakery. 

Gail’s is popular for its selection of quality coffee, sandwiches, cakes, and pastries, ensuring there is something for everyone to enjoy at breakfast and lunch. Among their most popular products are mini avocado sandwiches, chocolate and tahini bites, and apple and sesame butter cakes. 

Gail’s expresses that its house blend speciality coffee is ‘carefully sourced’, and they bake fresh bread, cake, and pastries daily. Its website states: “We take great pleasure in using the best ingredients we can find for food and drink, using seasonal ingredients from suppliers we trust.” 

The managing board of Gail’s have said there may be scope for 300-500 Gail’s bakeries across the UK

Many of its products, for example the sour cherry and chocolate scones, soho buns, and raspberry and rose jam, have won Great Taste Awards in 2024. Gail’s also won the Best Coffee Shop/ Café Group Award at the MCA Hospitality Awards in 2024. 

The bakery first opened in London in 2005. Since then, the franchise has grown across the country, with 131 branches of Gail’s in the UK, as of August 2024.  

The managing board of Gail’s have said there may be scope for 300-500 Gail’s bakeries across the UK. The chain is already steadily expanding its reach, having recently opened bakeries in Chelmsford, St. Pancras, and at London Bridge Station. 

Until the Leamington store opened, the closest Gail’s to students had been in Stratford-Upon-Avon. 

The opening of the new branch in Leamington was met with a mixture of enthusiasm and surprise by students. 

One student said: “I’m really happy.” 

Another stated: “I’m very excited, but incredibly surprised that a Gail’s is opening in a student town, as it is notoriously expensive.”