GAIL's Bakery Avis 

Something has changed with the Seeded Sourdough. Till a couple of months ago, it was superb. In fact, I struggled to find better wholemeal bread anywhere. But now it's become rather variable, with the odd loaf reaching the previous standards but, in general, the rest being rather bland and, sometimes, downright tasteless, like cardboard. Gail's - what have you changed?!

I visited Gail’s Petersfield for a late lunch and noticed that while other customers were given numbers and served at their tables, I was asked to collect my tray from the service point. I wouldn’t usually mind, except that I had to juggle a tray, a bottle, and my bag, creating a very awkward and embarrassing situation.
This isn’t the first time I’ve felt treated differently at GAIL’s Petersfield. On more than one occasion I have been ignored by a particular server while waiting for my order to be taken. After serving the customers before me, they decided to count and rearrange items until I had to point out that I was still waiting.
I don’t wish to speculate on the reasons for these experiences but it’s really disappointing when a visit that should be simple and enjoyable becomes uncomfortable and frustrating.

Today I tried the new formula for Gails dark hot chocolate 70% with soya milk. I know this is a new formula because last Tuesday when I went to purchase the dark hot chocolate it was not available because they were waiting for the arrival of the new 70% dark hot chocolate formula. I did not like it. After the initial taste, for the remainder of the drink it tasted like a regular milk hot chocolate. I absolutely adored the "original" or "old" dark hot chocolate formula with soya milk. It was like a little dessert during my day, more like a traditional Italian hot chocolate very thick yet still very drinkable. Alas my love affair with Gail's dark hot chocolate is over. I will be off to Hotel Chocolate to drink 85% or 100% dark hot chocolate with oat or coconut milk. Farewell Gails...

Nice food and coffee and service at the St Paul’s branch in London. But no working Wi-Fi - which is something I think is an important part of the service (it is 2026!!).

this is meant to be a dog friendly place. Dogs will bark when they meet. It’s rude and unacceptable to ask a customer to leave in the middle of her paid meal to leave because the dogs are meeting and barking. Not sure if he was the manager but they need to have better trained staff with more emotional intelligence.
There are at least 10 other coffee shops in the area!

Gails in general is always pretty good. But this branch is fantastic- that staff are always smiling and very attentive to customers. My daughters love going there and the staff always greet them. The managers particularly are great and know the regulars very well

After a previous poor experience with the ‘Too good to go’ bag and a rude staff member in the Putney store I haven’t visited in some time. As an Orthodox Christmas treat I thought I’d try again. Big mistake! There was no bread in the £7.50 bag despite there being several loaves on the shelf just before closing time. This was despite the website offer stating the bag normally comprises 70% bread. I asked the staff member if I could swap as I’d really hoped for bread but she was unhelpful. I can only imagine she wanted it for herself. I’m done with Gail’s, its surly staff and over priced offer. Looking online I now see I’m not the only person disappointed with the poor value offer.

Visiting GAIL’s Kingston is always bittersweet. The produce is amazing, the staff are attentive but the bakery is dirty with tables overflowing with used crockery and massive queues. I’d love to recommend but I can’t. The exception for me is the Cobham bakery

Nice food BUT disappointed cash only and lack of attention to detail clearing table and toilet

(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 liquid
The staff (3 of them and not doing much) were not friendly or engaged in keeping the place clean
Finally, a golden retriever type dog stood on its hind legs and put its paws on the counter where the staff serve the drinks from (the staff seemed to tolerate the dog and did not even wipe the surface after this)

I visit Gails on High Street Kensington or Kensington Arcade every single day. I think both branches are lovely. I go to Gails largely for their reliably good coffee, I only drink espresso so the coffee has to be good. I also like the teams at both a lot - same people for the last few years, all friendly, kind and helpful. Especially Messi at High Street Ken branch (also Jakob who is super). Both branches get very busy but they always look clean and tidy

Awful and very expensive : Total
Cost , £16 - Cup tea in paper cup - Chocolate drink - Scone in paper bag without any Butter / jam ( staff member “Says we have none Available” Also cake - Taste like bog standard supermarket brand . This Cafe needs to give it a new look and improve rapidly as every person seems to get a poor service !!!

No bread, unable to manage a simple queue and serve people in the order they arrived. Gails Woking is dismal.

Thank you Gail’s in Radlett to all the staff who worked hard over Boxing Day to service the busy environment. Always a pleasure getting my coffee every morning.

Popped in for hot chocolate and muffin the drink came in a cup with not handle which is strange and was bland and tasteless I sent it back as it was horrible the muffin was the best I’ve ever tasted so I would visit again only for a takeaway muffin. I found the staff unfriendly and unwelcoming I visited the Watford branch

I regularly bought the mixed olive sourdough stick, a bit pricey but was worth it, and very moreish. I bought one a couple of days ago & sadly the bread was not so tasty and had a horrible soggy texture. The recipe must have changed. I would not buy it again.

The overpriced sourdough loaf I purchased at the Whiteladies Rd, Bristol shop was one and a half times the price and half the size of the excellent sourdough loaves made on the premises of the 3 local bakeries near my home in Bristol. I thought that, as I was shopping near Gail's, that I'd buy my bread there. The bread was so heavy and stale that we couldn't eat it. Additionally, I didn't realise that Gail's was card only. I'd recommend that Gail's managers take into account the importance of companies/services not being cashless, for vulnerable people, particularly women experiencing or who are survivors of domestic abuse. There's a lot of information on the internet to help Gail's managers consider this, to enable them to ensure their business model has a high level of social responsibility (that is, if that is important to them).
Needless to say I won't be buying from Gail's again, unless I hear that the bread has significantly improved, is not over priced and that they take cash.

Piutney store is cold, uncomfortable and cramped. Stale bread, broken coffee machine and poor quality pastries. All served at exorbitant prices.

Never been to a Gail's bakery before. Walked into the StPancras store today at 5pm saw all the food laid out uncovered with customers and staff leaning all over it and turned straight back out. I don't care how nice it looks, it's totally unhygenic. There is no need for it.

We love GAIL’s in Fortis Green. It smells of fresh baked cakes and pastries. There is always a queue but somehow we are served very quickly. Mark always seems enthusiastic to slice the bread for us even when he is busy.