Residents are fighting to stop the bakery chain Gail’s opening a site on their high street amid fears it could run independent cafes out of business in one of London‘s most gentrified areas.
Hundreds of residents of Walthamstow Village in east London have signed a petition to stop a Gail’s opening after plans were announced to open 35 new sites across Britain.
The organiser, James Harvey, believes that if the brand opens local alternatives will be forced to close and the village will lose its character.
He warned: ‘This could lead to decreased visibility and pedestrian traffic towards independently run businesses, threatening their very existence and dismantling the character and diversity crucial to Walthamstow’s charm.’
Walthamstow Village: Residents of the 12th century village are fighting to stop a Gail’s opening
A Gail’s bakery next to another massive international chain Pret on a central London street
The petition has attracted 228 supporters so far, and is aiming to reach 500.
Gail’s prides itself on its bread and the petition cheekily makes reference to this on the website Change.Org with two baguettes crossed over each other.
The chain has more than 130 shops across Britain already and is seen by many as the successor to Waitrose.
It opened in 2005 in Hampstead, north London, and slowly began to spread across the capital before cherry picking new towns and cities to set up in.
These include Wilmslow, Cheshire, and Epsom in Surrey. Both are avowedly middle-class areas with locals often commuting to cities for their work but preferring to live away from the rush of urban life to raise families.
Locals in these areas have told how they are desperate for a Gail’s because ‘it’s the ultimate sign of gentrification’.
Gail’s CEO Tom Molnar in an interview with the Mail’s magazine said it was a huge compliment that people ask him for a Gail’s in their locality.
Despite plans to open another to shops in London and having more than 130 openings, managers at Gail’s do not consider themselves a chain.
In an interview with trade publication British Baker, Marta Pogroszewska said she believed ‘scale’ was an uncomfortable term and the company will always focus on being a ‘neighbourhood bakery’ rather than a chain.
The local village bakery which locals fear could be run out of business if Gail’s launch a shop
Loyal customers of The Village Bakery enjoying a coffee and a selection of freshly made bread
The arrival of a Gail’s in a town is a boost for property prices and a sure indicator that that the area is on the up and up.
Or as Dominic Agace, CEO of Winkworth estate agents, said: ‘Gail’s marks an area as a prime property market.’
But for the locals, represented by Mr Harvey in Walthamstow, the introduction of the brand threatens their individuality.
Mr Harvey added: ‘Walthamstow Village, a vibrant local neighbourhood in London, UK, is treasured for its collection of local, independent, and family-run businesses.
‘Our high street, a spotlight for these coveted establishments, faces a threat to its uniqueness with the prospect of Gail’s, a large-scale bakery chain, setting up shop on it.
‘Gail’s, although respected for their quality, bring a risk of overshadowing our much-loved local stores due to their massive scale and advertising reach.’
Such is the pull and marketability of Gail’s it reach has even extended beyond the property ladder and into the realm of politics.
For Gail’s was recently used in the general election as a means of typecasting a particular voter.
The Liberal Democrats targeted constituencies where there are Gail’s believing they were Conservative voters who could be prepared to swing.
Sir Ed Davey launched the scheme, calling it ‘Operation Cinnamon Bun’.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given Walthamstow Council has been run by Labour since 2010 when Stella Creasy was elected, he had little luck in the area.
But should a Gail’s open, perhaps it will swing the election result in the area.
Gail’s was approached for comment.