Harold Benjamin has worked with Gail’s Bakery for many years. We discussed their business success with Andrew Trigwell, Group CFO at Bread Holdings and Gail’s Bakery. Andrew has been with the group since 2017. We covered Gail’s history and what it takes to grow a food business operating out of retail premises. The '90s and early '00s fused Britpop energy, mega boy bands, and everything from Rod Stewart, through to Britney Spears, TLC and the Prodigy. Against this soundtrack, which seemingly collided an old world with a new one, London became a centre-point for a food renaissance - the opening of new restaurants, chefs on TV and ‘superstar’ brand endorsements, sat alongside a renewed interest in artisanal products. With the optimism of that time, Yael (Gail) Mejia started her commercial bakery, The Bread Factory, in North London. With its emphasis on locally sourced and handmade produce, it soon attracted other like-minded people. Though the craft bakery was initially a supplier of quality baked goods to London’s top chefs and restaurants, by the early 2000’s, it was clear that Gail had created something special. In 2005, Gail’s opened its first high street store in Hampstead. Gail’s has since opened more than 100 bakery stores. Despite the challenges of the pandemic and the more recent global economic turbulence, Gail’s continues to perform strongly. With over 2,000 employees and a turnover approaching £200m for many, the key to Gail’s success has been a dedication to premium quality. Additionally, Gail’s has expanded by attracting credible investment partners and working with experienced professionals.
As a business that occupies commercial space at a time when there are pressures from many directions (rents, rates, and energy costs to name a few), Gail’s relies on excellent legal and financial counsel. Harold Benjamin has been a long-standing partner of Gail’s and has helped fashion and implement its commercial property strategy. Commenting on their success, Andrew Trigwell explained, “We choose our key partners across the board. For any business there are so many moving parts. One of the most significant in a regulated industry, with hundreds of premises and employees, is having excellent legal advice. To that end, we are pleased to work with Harold Benjamin, who have provided great support throughout our growth particularly with their commercial property team in the West End” Gail’s is a case study for entrepreneurs. Product resilience, strategic business thinking and premium professional advice are all key ingredients to Gail’s on-going success.
For more information about Gail’s Bakery, please contact Andrew Trigwell.
For information about our commercial property services, please contact Robert Souber. extent to which they could have guests staying over, and required them to report intruders. This litigation resulted in two trials before the Upper Tribunal (Lands Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn Connect with Robert on LinkedIn
THE LEGAL CORNER MAGAZINE | ISSUE 005 SEPTEMBER '23 | PLANNING, OWNERSHIP & THE ENVIRONMENT HB 24
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