Behind the gleaming counters and £5 loaves, the much-loved bakery chain GAIL’s is facing allegations of low pay, exploitative practices and racial inequities that belie its wholesome image.
Once a byword for gentrified comfort in London’s leafy postcodes, GAIL’s has built its empire on sourdough and sleek design. But interviews conducted by Vittles reveal that since the 2021 takeover by Boston-based private equity giant Bain Capital, the company’s rapid expansion has come at the expense of its workforce – many of whom are recent migrants from Gujarat, India.
Employees described to Vittles a culture of cost-cutting and instability, where “profit is put first,” according to Sarah Woolley, head of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union (BFAWU). Under Bain’s new model, store profits are calculated against wage costs, incentivising managers to “drive down labour,” said one staff member. “If it’s quiet, they send you home – you’re only paid for the hours you’re there.”
Workers allege that rotas are often changed at short notice, with hours cut below contract levels. One employee told Vittles that her Christmas bonus was slashed from £100 to a £20 voucher, and that pay had fallen in real terms despite the rising cost of living.
GAIL’s said in response that it “has always paid above minimum wage,” currently offering roles at “4p per hour above the national rate,” and that staff receive rotas “two weeks in advance.” The company added: “Employees have access to free food and drink and are encouraged to take breaks when needed.”
Former employee Zahra recalled being told she could not drink water in front of customers and described “physically debilitating” conditions. Others alleged racial disparities: “If we spoke Gujarati, we were told off,” one worker said, while European colleagues “could speak their own language freely.”
Despite staff unrest, GAIL’s has doubled its branches since Bain’s takeover and plans to expand to 500 UK stores. CEO Tom Molnar insists, “We’re just a bakery.” But for the workers behind its £4.95 sourdoughs – many of them exhausted, indebted and far from home – GAIL’s represents something darker: a story of Britain’s growing dependence on precarious migrant labour, packaged in artisan red and white.
Responding to the allegations, a GAIL’s spokesperson said: “GAIL’s takes allegations of discrimination in the workplace extremely seriously and we are committed to ensuring our bakeries and business are free from prejudice or bias.
“We deeply value the diversity of our people, celebrating every individual’s heritage and language and fostering an inclusive culture that thrives on different experiences and skills.
“This is reflected in over 130 nationalities being part of GAIL’s breadheads community, reinforced through our diversity, equity and inclusion training policy, the unconscious bias training undertaken by all our hiring managers, and our award-winning career development programmes.
“Our employees make GAIL’s what it is, and we continually look for ways to support them, listening to concerns and engaging in meaningful dialogue.”
(c) Ben Jacob and Sasha Patel for Vittles, 2025