Gail’s bakery is set to open a huge new branch right in London’s West End

Freshly made artisanal bread for sale at the bakery in the morning, close-up — (Image credit: Alexander Spatari / Getty Images)

London begats branches of Gail’s seemingly more quickly than Arsenal fans begat new celebrations or the Kardashians begat yet another A-lister beau. No matter where you are in the city, you can find the red-and-white lighthouse of middle-class opulence beaming out from Clapham to Clerkenwell, signalling that you can get a £4.50 pain au chocolat and an artisan sourdough loaf. But as much as we knock it, you can’t knock the quality – or the demand, as more and more Londoners queue up for the flaky confectionary.

Gail’s already has a whopping 185 locations, branching out of London to open sites in Salisbury, Oxford, Manchester and more. However, it hasn’t forgotten its smoky roots, with a slew of new London openings, including its most ambitious and largest to date. And it’s in central London.

a pile of french style croissants stacked on top of one another in a bakery

The latest Gail’s is heading to St James’ Park in 3,200 square feet of golden goodness. The site will be part of a new development project called The Broadway, which is based on the site of the former New Scotland Yard. It’s just a stone's throw or a gently lobbed frisbee away from classic landmarks like Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. As per the Cafe / Bakery’s M.O, the site will be open for both eat in (aka. The laptop brigade) and takeaway, with a 74-person capacity indoors and 25 outdoors.

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The Broadway itself is "six architecturally striking towers" which "house an exquisite collection of residences framing panoramic views of the capital’s most iconic landmarks. The Broadway places residents at the intersection of heritage, influence and style. From landscaped parkland to the boutiques of Mayfair, residents are within walking distance of it all." But it looks like you can stop by and enjoy the goods on offer without being a resident.

Joining Gail’s on the site will be Coyo Taco – the cult Miami taco joint which is making its UK debut, and smoothie connoisseurs Açai Berry who have nine existing venues in London.

So far, there isn’t an exact opening date for the new site, but The Broadway is already underway vis-à-vis construction and knowing how quickly London’s skyline changes, it probably won’t be long before there’s an update.

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Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.