In a festive surprise for Londoners, the upmarket bakery chain Gail's has announced it will keep a selection of its stores open on Christmas Day. Ten branches across the capital will welcome customers, offering a complimentary mince pie to anyone who stops by.
A Festive Gesture for a Quiet Morning
The company confirmed the special Christmas Day opening hours, stating that while most of its bakeries will operate as usual on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, a handful will open their doors on December 25th itself. In a social media announcement, Gail's framed the move as providing "a place for a coffee, a loaf or a familiar face on a quiet morning."
The free mince pie offer is described as a "small gesture of thanks" to anyone spending part of their day with the bakery team, and will be available while stocks last. Gail's acknowledged the diverse ways people mark the holiday, noting in their statement: "People celebrate Christmas in different ways, and some not at all. Every year, our teams choose what's best for them."
Full List of Christmas Day Opening Locations
The ten Gail's bakeries opening on Christmas Day, along with their specific hours, are as follows:
- Shaftesbury Avenue: 7am–8pm
- Long Acre: 8am–4pm
- Balham: 7am–5pm
- Greenwich: 7am–5pm
- Dulwich: 10am–5pm
- Clapham Old Town: 8am–5pm
- Blackheath: 8am–5pm
- Highgate: 8am–3pm
- Golders Green: 8am-5pm
- St John’s Wood: 8am-5pm
The company advises customers to check its website for any last-minute updates to opening times before making a special journey.
Expansion Continues Amid Strong Sales Growth
This Christmas initiative comes alongside significant expansion plans for the bakery chain. Gail's recently revealed it intends to launch 40 new stores across England by the end of February 2026, with a focus on increasing its presence outside of London.
This follows a period of rapid growth; the chain opened 36 new cafes in the last financial year, marking its first foray into the south west of England. This expansion is backed by strong financial performance, with recently filed accounts showing sales reached £278 million in the year to February 2025, representing a 20% increase on the previous year.
However, this growth has required substantial investment. Pre-tax losses widened to £7.8 million, up from £7.4 million, as the company spent on new store openings, leading to higher business expenses and staff costs. The workforce now exceeds 4,000 employees, an increase of around 500 year-on-year.
Gail's operates both a retail bakery arm and a wholesale business supplying retailers like Waitrose and Ocado. Company directors noted the wholesale market is "very competitive," but stated they are attracting customers with high quality at reasonable prices. They identified the retail bakeries as the "faster growing and more profitable part" of the group, but emphasised the need to continue providing innovative food in attractive locations to sustain growth.
