Network Rail Property has introduced two new GAIL’s bakeries at London Bridge and London Liverpool Street stations, marking GAIL’s expansion into travel retail.
The London Liverpool Street station store, which opened in February, occupies 2,730 sq ft of retail space in a key location within one of London’s busiest transport hubs. The bakery provides an all-day dining experience featuring coffee, handmade bread, pastries, sandwiches, and other freshly prepared options.
At London Bridge station, the newly opened GAIL’s bakery spans 980 sq ft. The unit has been designed to offer customers a clear view into the bakery’s production area, providing a visual element to the dining experience. This station is a key destination for commuters and travellers, making it a strategic location for the bakery’s latest expansion.
Both locations aim to enhance the food-to-go offering for passengers, with GAIL’s focusing on sourcing ingredients from UK-based suppliers, including butchers, cheese producers, and vegetable growers. Among the bakery’s signature products is its cinnamon bun, made with croissant pastry, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter, before being baked and coated in cinnamon sugar. Over the past year, GAIL’s has sold more than two million of these pastries across its stores.
The openings align with Network Rail’s ongoing strategy to diversify the retail mix at its 19 managed stations. Over the last 18 months, the organisation has introduced new brands and experiences to enhance passenger offerings. With more than 600,000 sq ft of retail space across major city-centre locations and over 700 million station visits annually, Network Rail generates income from retail and food outlets to support railway reinvestment.
Hamish Kiernan, Commercial Director, Property at Network Rail, said:
“Customer demand for quality food and drink continues to go from strength to strength across our 19 destination stations. And with bakery one of the top three most used categories in London Bridge and Liverpool Street stations, our GAIL’s openings are really delivering on the needs and wants of our passengers.”
A GAIL’s spokesperson added:
“GAIL’s has a few bakeries located in railway stations, such as GAIL’s at St Pancras and GAIL’s at London Bridge. These have been thoughtfully designed to reflect the warmth and generosity of GAIL’s in a slightly more formal way that is seen in their London village bakeries. A cross between a business lounge and a bakery, with the design nuances often found in transport hubs around the world, the bakery offers relaxed dwell spaces for travellers.”
These latest openings at London Bridge and Liverpool Street reinforce GAIL’s commitment to expanding its presence in high-footfall travel locations while maintaining its emphasis on quality and design.
