GAIL's BakeryReviews 

1,018
TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

2.3

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 259 reviews, most reviewers were unhappy with their experience overall. Many customers expressed dissatisfaction with the service, citing issues like unfriendly, inattentive, or unhelpful staff, and a general lack of engagement in maintaining cleanliness. People frequently encountered problems with product quality, including bland or tasteless food, items with inedible fat, or products that seemed stale or burnt. Several reviewers also noted concerns about hygiene, such as dirty tables or issues with food preparation and service areas. Some customers reported issues with lukewarm drinks and the use of paper cups for dining in, which they found disappointing for a higher-end establishment. Conversely, a small portion of people felt satisfied with the staff, describing them as polite, helpful, and attentive, particularly at certain locations. These customers also praised the quality of the coffee, pastries, and other food items, finding them delicious and consistently good.

What people talk about most

Staff

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of staff, with many customers praising the staff for being kind,... See more

Product

Consumers find product quality to be ambiguous, with some reviewers expressing extreme dissatisfaction,... See more

Quality

Customers consistently note ambiguous experiences with quality, with some reviewers expressing satisfaction... See more

Service

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about service, with some customers consistently reporting positive... See more

Location

Clients share ambiguous opinions on location, with many reviewers expressing disappointment with specific... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

(Tunbridge Wells) Food and drink were fine (as usual at a Gail’s) but although the café was quiet the unoccupied tables (and in one case the benches) were covered in crumbs/sticky mess/spilt liqui... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Staff attentive but coffee overpriced £4.30 for a (very) small flat white.The main bug bear is the other customers, one person taking up a double table with a laptop and one empty coffee cup. All tabl... See more

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

As a tourist i love this place foodwise and seatingplaces wise. There is choice in healthy food and pastries, coffee is good, personel friendly, BUT apparently cleaning does not have a priority. I hav... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The pastrami sandwich was the worst i have ever had. The meat has great lumps of inedible fat, while the dressing tasted chemical. I was so horrrified I asked for the ingredient list. And no wonder! H... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Bakery
  2. Brunch Restaurant
  3. Cafe
  4. Caterer
  5. Coffee Shop
  6. Meal Delivery

Written by the company

Dedicated to the craft of baking. Available to buy in-bakery, online at https://order.gailsbread.co.uk and on Waitrose, Ocado, Deliveroo, Gorillas and Amazon Fresh.


Contact info

2.3

Poor

TrustScore 2.5 out of 5

1K reviews

5-star
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1-star

No recent history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative

Replied to 45% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 24 hours

How this company uses Trustpilot

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2.3

All reviews

(1,018)

253 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

So long Gails that we used to love

I used to absolutely love Gails. I'll admit, I would go in twice a day sometimes because it was that uplifting. Now I steer clear and know a lot of other people who have moved on too. Half of the units are grotty and dark; my regular (Temple Fortune) had a 'refurb' in August last year and it's an insult to us customers. The floor has horrible red paint that looks like tape to cover up 1) broken tiles, and 2) Gails' reluctance to spend real money on the place. They've made an already small space darker, more crammed and claustrophobic, the wall and ceiling in one corner are black from leaks, the awful black panels on the counter are ill-fit...I could go on. The staff are delightful, they prop the place up. In my local, the music is fine but in some of the units, they've made the volume so loud that again, it's a major deterrent. I suspect for now, Gails is still raking it in but good luck to them keeping it up, I for one am done.

February 10, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terrible chewy pastrami sandwich!

Bought expensive pastrami sandwich today, meat was so chewy couldn't eat it. Terrible! Wont be wasting time and money next time. I even paid parking to stop there. Overrated expensive Gail's, Not worth it.

February 10, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Cold sausage roll

I generally like Gail’s but very disappointed with a cold sausage roll today. Apparently they cannot reheat. So bizarre!

February 8, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

My experience at GAIL’s Bakery Victoria…

My experience at GAIL’s Bakery Victoria Park (87 Lauriston Rd, London E9 7HL) was unacceptable. I was treated differently because of my race, which made me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome.

The behaviour of the staff affected me so badly that I couldn’t even eat the food I purchased. This is not how any customer should be treated.

Racism has no place in any business. Management needs to take responsibility, provide proper training, and ensure all customers are treated equally and with respect.

February 7, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Gail’s-you are dead to me!

We used to be great fans of Gail’s bakery before Covid, a real treat place and we used to go most weekends.
Now most of the locations have turned into places where the staff are not at all friendly, the place is never clean and to top it all you now don’t even get a ‘free’ loaf when you collect 9 stamps-you have to actually buy something to get your ‘free’ loaf after spending at least £25 per visit!!! Extortionate.
And to make matters worse the app doesn’t even log your visits correctly I have been then at least 3 times and it didn’t add any stamps-I suggest you all go to Ole & Steen, the food is fresher, cheaper, and the loyalty scheme is much fairer!

February 4, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Gail’s Challah plaited loaf is too salty - recipe must be reviewed

I wish to highlight health concerns pertaining to two products that I buy regularly from this store: Challah plaited loaf and CHALLAH TIN LOAF. I understand that they changed the recipe and I can certainly tell. The salt content in these products has been increased to unhealthy levels. This is irresponsible on Gail’s part considering that in the UK high salt consumption is a primary driver of high blood pressure (hypertension). Over 1 in 4 adults in the UK are affected by high blood pressure. I used to enjoy Gail’s Challah plaited loaf and CHALLAH TIN LOAF when both were less salty and also less calorific and healthier. I woke up thinking of Challah plaited loaf but decided not to order any today when I remembered just how salty the loaf I bought recently was. I will try the M&S one instead as it’s less salty. Please use healthier recipes for these traditional products and play your part in contributing to healthier communities. RE: Customer Service, I have found most of the staff at this branch to be professional and courteous. Thank you.

January 16, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Unrefrigerated filled Roll/Sandwiches at Gail's Bakery

Learned too late that Gail's are permitted to sell filled rolls out of temperature for a 2 hour period, i.e. fresh cold meats, cheeses, salmon, chicken, etc... and we are to trust that they chuck them in the bin after that time..
forgive me for not believing this,..... as I purchased the last filled roll available at Gatwick Airport recently, and was violently sick afterwards.........took me over a week to resume eating again...Terrible experiece.

I have since learned from Health and Safety that rolls/sandwiches can be displayed at ambient temperature that is, not refrigerated for 4 Hours!!!! Incredible !! No wonder I was so Sick..... Buyer beware I say!!

January 23, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

At Gail's Cheshire Oak's

At Gail's Cheshire Oak's, we ordered two coffees and cakes at 4p.m. Good selection of cakes and pastries, however I was very disappointed that the coffees were served in cardboard cups even though we were dining in the store. This is supposedly a higher end bakery and coffee shop and as such I would expect to be served with proper cups and cutlery. We were told afterwards the reason for the takeaway cups and cutlery was because there was only two staff on duty. Perhaps it would be prudent to warn customers before they place their orders that they will be receiving their drink in takeaway cups so they have the choice to stay or go elsewhere. Just as I completed the review, I overheard another customer saying 'we've got cardboard cups because the dishwasher is broken'. Strange that the staff are telling different stories, could it be that it's easier not to wash any cutlery and just throw the paper, cardboard and plastic in the bin...very sustainable and unacceptable 🫤

February 3, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Very disappointing

(Canary Wharf) I frequent Gail’s regularly both here and in Soho. I’m always very satisfied with the baked goods. Previously, the Smoked Chicken Caesar Sandwich caught my eye and having built up an appetite for it, today I decided to get one for lunch. I believe it cost £8.95.

It was just a dry chicken sandwich on brown bread. The chicken was just lunch meat, there was no Caesar dressing on it, no Romaine not even a slice of tomato. No cheese. There was a bit of Rocket and some chicken lunch meat between 3 dry pieces of low quality brown bread, which I guess was some attempt at making it a club?

Not worth the wait, not worth £8.95. Very disappointing. I could’ve just bought a packaged sandwich at half the price. I was expecting something like a Smoked Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap but with some freshly baked bread. Gail’s product developer should visit an actual sandwich shop or walk 2 feet into the Waitrose right behind them and spend £3.50 on Chicken Caesar Wrap with Grilled Chicken, Smoked Bacon, Parmesan Cheese and actual Caesar dressing rather than charging £9 for a sandwich that doesn’t even meet the standard set by National Rail, let alone Waitrose, at less than half the price. Very disappointing.

January 31, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Looked great from the outside but

Looked great from the outside but - wow - what a cold soulless underwhelming experience. It was pretty busy and I suspect if you know your way around then that helps. I didn’t. Waited while one person served people behind me before me and 4 others stood round chatting. I would have had a pastry with the drinks but I wasn’t sure where the shop ended and the café began and felt too unwelcome to ask. Not sure why hot drinks and served luke warm in cold cups. Probably works for regulars but not so amazing that I feel like learning the ropes.

January 31, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Consistently Great Experience at Gail’s

I recently visited Gail’s again and had a great experience, as always. The manager kindly recommended the new Smoked Chicken Caesar Club sandwich, and it was absolutely delicious — full of flavor and perfectly prepared. I also want to highlight the excellent level of cleanliness, which was noticeable throughout the café, just like on every visit. Highly recommended!

January 27, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Gail's shrinking loafs..

I have been a regular customer of Gail's before thier expansion. I am beginning to see a decline in service. The size of the sourdough loafs are getting smaller, so are the pastries and becoming more expensive. The quality is still there but this will get affected soon as they push for profits and loose thier original values.

January 24, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Just Grim

Live in Edinburgh, so don't have a Gail's nearby. Came down to visit family in England and thought I'd see what the fuss was about.
Served by a young woman who proceeded to sneeze on my loaf, then put her hand to her mouth, sneeze again into her hand and then handle a cake I'd bought.
I paid and walked out in shock... didn't eat anything.

January 27, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A great experience at the Greenwich branch!

A particularly kind server named Prasanth took the time to help me download the Gail’s app today. I’m not tech savvy and his patient assistance and advice were so much appreciated. Credit to him and the other outstanding staff at Greenwich. Whether it is describing their products to me or making recommendations, they are unreservedly helpful, kind, and cheerful -even though it is a very busy place. I love the happy vibe in this particular store!

January 23, 2026
Unprompted review

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