The Kensington Arcade

Source: Hufton + Crow

Gail’s Bakery is set to open a new store in west London after signing a 10-year lease on a 460 sq ft site at The Kensington Arcade.

Offering the brand’s handmade bread, pastries and cakes and house blend coffee, the artisan bakery will join existing tenants including Pret A Manger, Leonidas and Marks & Spencer, with the new store expected to open in autumn 2022.

“We are pleased to be launching at The Kensington Arcade in autumn 2022 and are looking forward to working with partners in the area,” said Brett Parker, property director at Gail’s Bakery. “As a neighbourhood craft bakery, we offer our customers freshly baked food and hand roasted speciality grade coffee. We believe the versatility and location of the space will suit our customers on the go.”

Acquired by Ashby Capital in February 2019, The Kensington Arcade comprises 26,000 sq ft of retail and offices that forms the entrance to High Street Kensington Underground Station, which has annual footfall of around 12 million people. The arcade contains 15 retail units, with three small office floors located above the main arcade.

“We are thrilled to welcome Gail’s Bakery to The Kensington Arcade, which is a vote of confidence not only in Kensington’s enduring attraction as a retail destination but also the attractive retail proposition we have created,” said Tom Smithers, property director at Ashby Capital. “Gail’s will complement the existing F&B offering at the arcade, providing a unique artisan bakery experience that is well suited to the local area.”

Bread Holdings, the parent company of Gail’s Bakery and sister business The Bread Factory, sold a stake in the business to Bain Capital Credit and Ebitda Investments last September. Following the investment, Gail’s CEO Tom Molnar told British Baker that the craft bakery chain had the ambition to “double the size of the business in three to five years”.