Making Good Food Go Further

In 2021, the Bain Capital Special Situations team invested in GAIL’s Bakery, a UK based artisanal bakery that serves local communities. Originally founded as a wholesale business, today GAIL’s has over 100 retail bakeries in the United Kingdom—and throughout its growth, the company has stayed true to its original philosophy: to make good food that people love.

Throughout GAIL’s history, embedding responsible practices into its strategy has always been a priority. The company’s ability to supply high-quality, freshly baked goods, meals, and drinks with a customer-focused culture drives GAIL’s strong brand following, like-for-like growth, and expanding bakery network. With the company’s growth, the leadership team has maintained a focus on establishing sustainable business practices and giving back to communities.

For GAIL’s, “good” doesn’t only mean “delicious”—it also means sustainable. It’s why the company’s Waste Not mission works to achieve zero food waste. GAIL’s uses ingredients in its products that might otherwise be discarded, understanding that innovative baking is the perfect way to make the most out of these contents.

For example, the business breaks down leftover bread loaves to create its signature Waste-Less Sourdough for the following day, which it bakes fresh. This approach has been so successful that it has garnered awards—and GAIL’s has expanded it to a wider range of products, from croissants and crackers to buns and babkas.

GAIL’s mission doesn’t end with sustainable baking. At the end of each day, GAIL’s donates over 90% of its edible surplus food to local charities and initiatives. Additionally, GAIL’s has implemented several changes to improve the sustainability of its packaging—including transitioning to biodegradable, compostable materials.

This is good food, doing good.