Anger as Gail's Bakery prepares to open in Primrose Hill

The growing chain, which started life in Hampstead, will soon be opening in Gloucester Avenue, Primrose Hill, in the former premises of high-end grocery Melrose and Morgan, which closed in May.

The new bakery will be across the road from Jolie Corner café and Primrose Bakery in the leafy street, which has a mixture of homes and small shops.

Primrose Bakery owner Martha Swift says Gail's coming spells the end for a product that has been a standby of hers for 20 years.

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She said: "We've been handmaking croissants from day one but I'm going to stop that.

Primrose Bakery owner Martha Swift says seeing Gail's 'baking here soon' sign is 'a slap in the face' (Image: Nathalie Raffray)

"We'll have croissants in Gail's, in Jolie next door; you don't need three places within five feet selling them. My customers liked them, they were very popular." 

With a Gail's ten minutes away in Camden, another in Camden's Ice Wharf, and others in Hampstead, West Hampstead, Belsize Park and Maida Vale, she said the "area does not need another".

"Areas are losing their identity and individuality to chains," she added.

"You see the sign out the window saying 'we'll be baking here soon'. It's a real slap in the face."

The hoarding outside Gail's in Gloucester Avenue, Primrose Hill, which tells locals they will be 'baking here soon' (Image: Nathalie Raffray)

Pedro Baptista, a customer at Jolie Corner cafe, said he would "prefer something else" on the street, which has a handful of independent shops compared to traders in the high street in nearby Regents Park Road.

He added: "There's a Gail's not far away in Parkway. There's no need for another. There should be a law for chains that they only open in high streets and shopping centres where there is more demand and more choice.

"Local shops may have to close if Gail's becomes popular. It will take over and the character of this area will be lost."

Zara Cadri, a parent governor at Primrose Hill Primary School, said Gail's may "cause a lot of issues" for independents, particularly if it offers similar products.

She also warned of other consequences for the neighbourhood, adding: "It'll attract more tourists to the area, which could attract more issues like crime."

Freshly filled sandwiches at Jolie Corner, an independent café opposite the planned Gail's Bakery (Image: Nathalie Raffray)

Valdis, a fishmonger at the La Petite Poissonnerie a few doors along, said a Gail's was "not a great idea" and a butcher or grocer would benefit the area more.

Eve Alison, a barista at Jolie Corner, offered a more hopeful perspective.

She said: "The residents round here are quite anti-chain but hopefully it will bring more foot traffic to the area."

A spokesperson for Gail's said they were "grateful to those who support us and understand our sense of wider purpose".  

"We acknowledge that with size and growth comes a greater responsibility to the communities we serve," they added.  

"We understand the concern around chains, but our view is that a healthy high street is one with a diversity of quality offers each delivering their best.

"High streets evolve over time, and we open our bakeries often in closed banks or restaurants, improving the landscape of the high street.

"All of our bakeries exist in areas where the choices are wide and growing - we believe the improvement in our food landscapes is something to celebrate."