FIRST LOOK: Esteemed London bakery GAIL’s opens its doors on King Street for first time

The news that a branch of London born GAIL’s was to open on King Street has been as welcome as the frothy cups of house blend coffee and picturesque pastries the esteemed bakery has to offer.

The countdown has been firmly on and tomorrow the latest in its four branches to open this year (this is the third) will finally open its doors to the public.

I went down to check the new bakery out ahead of it’s official opening and see if, like the branches that have already been opened in Wilmslow and Altrincham, the bakery has once again risen to the occasion.

Housed in the former White Stuff unit, the Parisien-style two floor venue, its first floor home to cascading shelves of freshly baked sourdough and a glass counter filled with pastries almost too pretty to eat, also has room for community events and gatherings.

The interior is like any signature GAIL’s - clean, simple lines, a light and airy feel and a mixture of burnished wood and brick that brings an earthy texture to the surroundings - in keeping with the rustic aesthetic of the freshly baked bread and pastries.

Outside and in, there are handpainted murals by local artist Amy Coney, created as part of the city’s recent flower festival, including a beautiful floral mural painted in its windows. The appliances are sage green and uber contemporary lights hang in neat rows from above - hitting just the right note between being comfortably homely but maintaining a slick city feel.

Loaf choices include classic white and brown sourdough, dark sourdough and GAIL’s ‘wasteless’ loaves, which are made using a specially-created recipe designed to incorporate unsold bread crumbs, alongside plentiful seeded varieties.

Coffee is specially roasted for GAIL’s cafes and changes four times a year along with the seasons.

My tomato and artichoke quiche tasted satisfyingly homemade, my rose and pistachio cake was delicate and moist, my large cup of frothy latte blended impressively.... just as you would expect from GAIL’s that boasts 79 bakeries in London, Oxford, Brighton and beyond, including a branch on Portobello Road in Notting Hill.

Indeed, the bakery has been very Southern-centric but a rapid expansion in the North West has seen it launch its first northern outpost in Wilmslow in Cheshire in February attracting queues down the street, before rapidly following with the opening of a Gail’s Altrincham bakery in March. Following the King Street opening, another branch is set to open in Didsbury.

GAIL’s will also be working with local restaurant-backed charity Eat Well MCR to help provide nutritious meals to local people.

The site on King Street will be open to the public from June 7 and will be trading from 6.30am-6pm Sunday-Friday and until 7pm on Saturdays.

Find Gail’s at 46 King Street, Manchester, M2 4LG.