Baking Industry Awards 2025: Gail’s crowned Bakery Retailer of the Year

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This category seeks out businesses with an excellent strategy for bakery retailing, a strong emphasis on product quality and NPD, and the ability to deliver an award-winning customer experience in store.

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Source: Gail's

Gail's Bruern Farm Sourdough

Source: Gail's

Charred Aubergine & Mint Sandwich

Source: Gail's

Good Earth Sourdough

Source: Gail's

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Winner: Gail’s

Gail’s has fought off stiff competition from three former category champions – Birds Bakery, Lidl, and M&S – to be named Bakery Retailer of the Year 2025.

Having been named a finalist last year, the business has forged ahead on its strategic vision to ‘make exceptional craft baking a part of every community’, making some serious progress on the way. This includes adding more than 30 new sites to its estate, including in London train stations, taking its total to more than 170 outlets across England.

Gail’s said it ‘exists to feed people better’ and as part of this mission it has also revamped its menu with a focus on diverse grains and championing British farming. Recent innovation includes Good Earth Sourdough made with wholemeal wheat, barley, emmer, spelt, and rye, as well as Heritage Grain Crispbreads and Heritage Grain & Vanilla Shortbread. Seasonal menu items are also a focus, used to embrace seasonal ingredients and trends with an Apple & Blackberry Crumble Cake and Squash & Chipotle Fritter on Potato & Rosemary Sourdough among the autumn line-up.

An investment in sandwiches which utilise the bakery’s sourdough has also resulted in a double-digit increase in the category’s sales for Gail’s.

Its employees, known as ‘Breadheads’, are craft trained in classrooms and workshops in its Camden training academy, as well as on the job. Upon completion of their training, they are signed off by industry-leading trainers before they manage the kitchen on their own.

As part of the judging process, the panel mystery shopped three Gail’s stores and were met with “knowledgeable and enthusiastic” team members at every site, proving that the firm’s recruitment and training strategy is paying off. This was even the case at the recently opened Liverpool Street site located inside the train station which had a near constant queue out the door with staff taking the time to check allergens, offer recommendations, and deliver friendly service.

“It’s clear to see the mission-led business strategy is working,” said one judge, adding that the “focus on delivering good food sustainably and not compromising on this shows great responsibility within the industry”.

Finalist: Birds

East Midlands-based, family-run bakery has made great strides since its previous category win at the 2021 Baking Industry Awards. This includes extended opening hours as well as new branding and store designs which are being rolled out across its estate, resulting in a modern and fresh feel.

With 62 sites in operation across the region, the business aims to delight both new and loyal customers by delivering ‘consistently delivering exceptional products that not only meet but exceed customer expectations, while continuing to evolve and innovate to stay ahead in the marketplace’.

This is evidenced from its product range. Pastries, including a cinnamon bun and raspberry & pistachio Danish, are among the latest additions already delivering increased sales alongside updates to the sandwich range with a malt roll added as a sandwich carrier. The bakery embraces the BLT (breakfast, lunch, and treat) strategy when developing new lines and this is “clearly paying off”, according to the judges who said Birds deliver “good quality products at a fair price”.

The exemplary in-store experience delivered by Birds’ employees was also recognised, with one judge describing it as “a masterclass in customer service”, adding that “Birds Bakery is always a delightful place to be”.

Finalist: Lidl

Lidl is making a big impact on the bakery market and the Baking Industry Awards judges in 2025.

Having been the 2023 category winner, the discounter has continued to gain market share and revamped its bakery fixtures adding Special Guests and Doughnut of the Month bays to stores. These are packed with limited-edition products with a total of 66 rolled out over the last year alongside eight permanently listed lines. Particular highlights include the Chocolate Cronut, Brioche Croissant, and Cheese Pretzel Roll. It also added new bakery stands to stores, designed to highlight promotions on wrapped lines such as multipack rolls and doughnuts.

It ensures all store team members are trained in bakery with colleagues offered the opportunity to become an ISB specialist. The training for this covers areas such as sales forecasting, bakery KPIs and best practice in bakery merchandising.

“Lidl’s bakery displays really make an impact,” commented the judges who noted that the use of Special Guests and doughnut bays was paying off by driving excitement in-store and online. Coupled with a strong marketing strategy and use of a loyalty app which encourages engagement with the bakery fixture, the retailer has certainly upped its game since its previous win.

Finalist: Marks & Spencer

Reigning Bakery Retailer of the Year M&S has proven itself to be worthy of finalist status in 2025.

With around 650 in-store bakeries, it is predominantly a bake-off operation with some thaw-and-serve lines. Regardless of the production method, the retailer has been on a mission to upgrade the quality of its products with core cookies as well as seasonal ones and pastel de nata benefitting of late. This has resulted in impressive gains in terms of sales and market share.

M&S’ goal is to be ‘the artisan bakery of the high street, while feeling like a fresh food market’, with ‘abundance and freshness’ coupled with ‘exceptional quality’ at the core of this proposition.

To ensure this is being delivered this across its estate, M&S has recently relaunched its training manuals in a digital format making it easier for staff to access the information and ensure compliance. It also continues to work closely with supplier Jones Village Bakery, which has a training facility at its Wrexham site for the retailer.

The judges said M&S “continues to be an impressive business” when it comes to bakery and “clearly hasn’t rested on its laurels” since its most recent win. “The investment in product quality, NPD, store fixtures, and staff training is paying off,” they added.