Latest news with #Gail's
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Stop demonising bread, I eat it every day
I eat a slice of bread a day, either for breakfast or lunch. That may surprise you, as bread doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to our health – but it's misunderstood. It's one of the first things humans made – there are records of flatbreads going back some 14,000 years. So it's part of our culture; let's not demonise it but enjoy it. But, in some forms, it should be a rare treat (for me, that's when it's topped with marmalade). If you're having it on a regular basis like me, make sure that it's both tasty and good for you. My everyday bread – and favourite treat options Most days, I eat sourdough rye bread that I make myself with wholemeal flour, rye flour, malted flakes, water, salt, a sourdough starter and some mixed nuts and seeds like in the Zoe Daily30+ (I've shared the exact recipe below). It's got a really rich taste, a nutty feel to it, lots of structure and you know it's doing you good. It's heavy, dense and fills me up. It's free from additives and preservatives, full of high-quality grains, is high in fibre and fills you up – meaning you eat much less of it than you would a shop-bought equivalent. I often make more than I need and freeze it – slicing it thinly, so it's simple to take a couple of slices and toast as you need it. But if I don't have any, I'll buy something like Gail's rye and barley sourdough or the robust rye sourdough from M&S. Sometimes I'll pick up a pre-packaged long-life German rye bread. These don't look very appetising but are nutritious and do the job until I can next make my own. I certainly wouldn't now buy the heavily processed supermarket bread that I used to, like white or even wholemeal sliced; but I'll eat it if I'm at someone's house or travelling and it's really the only option available. They're full of sugar, packed with artificial ingredients and won't fill you up. Once you get used to healthier breads, these options no longer taste nice, either – they're very light, dissolve in your mouth and feel very sugary. But I don't always just stick to my healthy rye sourdoughs. My guilty pleasure is warm bread in restaurants, which is often quite sugary but delicious – options like homemade ciabatta and focaccia that I cover in extra-virgin olive oil. I've found that I'm not very good at saying no to it but as I don't go to restaurants every day, I see it as a treat. The healthy toppings – and ones to avoid I'm now completely turned off the classic sandwich and popular fillings. In my 25 years working as a hospital doctor, I'd buy a daily meal deal (in health terms, probably the worst possible invention in the name of convenience). Tuna and sweetcorn or cucumber with mayo on brown bread was my go-to, with a packet of crisps and orange juice. At the time, I thought this was a healthy option but it definitely wasn't – the bread was dyed and full of sugar and additives and I don't think it had a single wholegrain in it. And all that tuna is probably why I've got high mercury levels now. Instead, I now make much healthier high-fibre open sandwiches at home with whatever I have in the fridge. If I'm in a hurry, I would opt for cream cheese topped with sauerkraut or kimchi. I've just done a new study for my book Ferment, which is out in September, and we tested Philadelphia cheese that counts as a fermented food as, surprisingly, it contains live microbes. We could be snobby and say it's mass-produced but, ultimately, fermented food improves your digestion and gut health and we don't eat enough of it – though I prefer to buy a cream cheese from my local delicatessen that tastes better (but I'm not too proud to buy Philadelphia). If I have more time, I would drizzle my toasted bread with olive oil, spread over some hummus (either regular or beetroot) and top with jarred artichoke hearts, as well as some sauerkraut or kimchi. As a treat, I love dipping bread into olive oil and balsamic vinegar – that's something the British don't do enough of. Not only does it taste fantastic, the dips are full of healthy fats, which counteract some of the sugar in the bread. It feels like a luxurious thing to do but may have some benefits. Ultimately, many of us choose the easy route and have the same single-ingredient sandwich most days that we spend an estimated £48,000 on over a lifetime. As well as being unhealthy, it reduces the diversity of plants you are eating, depriving your gut microbes of a treat. So it's important to look for new ways to enjoy our sandwich. The UK's more popular fillings – like ham and cheese, BLT, prawn mayo – are all pretty rubbish for our health. Instead of always having our bread with meat, try to think of veggie options you could make. Most people like hummus and have it in their fridge but most don't think to put it on a sandwich. Try to be more adventurous. How to pick a healthy supermarket bread It's pretty hard to find good healthy bread in most supermarkets. The top-selling breads all tend to have a nice healthy label promoting vitamins or fibre, some seeds scattered on top and they tend to look brown and may even mention the word sourdough on the front of the packaging. But you're never going to be able to tell from the appearance or the front of the packet whether you're buying healthy bread because there's no agreed legal definition for the words wholegrain, or freshly baked, and dyes are often added to bread to make them appear healthier than they are. Sourdough is sadly often added as a 'fake' ingredient to sell the product. If it's 'baked on the premises', supermarkets don't have to share the ingredients in it and this category includes breads that have been made in a factory, kept frozen for up to two years in warehouses and then thawed out and baked in-store. It creates a lovely smell in the shop but will do little for your health. Instead, you need to look at the ingredients list on the back of the label. There, you're looking for a high percentage of fibre in your bread (ideally over 6-10 per cent) and as little sugar as possible. It's also important to try to avoid too many ingredients, especially red-flag ingredients like emulsifiers and palm oils. If vitamins have been added to the loaf, it's often a sign that the bread isn't healthy. Adding vitamins is a legal requirement in the UK for bread that is made with refined (non-whole) wheat flour. A lot of the vitamins out there come from big factories overseas, often made using modified microbes, and there are real concerns about whether they actually contain what the labels say. The combination of ingredients like salt, sugar and fats in unhealthy loaves are designed to make them very easy to overeat, which is known as hyperpalatability. If you go for a healthier option with lots of fibre it will actually fill you up – you'll eat less and feel fuller. Loaves made with rye flour, spelt flour or wholegrains are best. Another good sign is that it has a short ingredient list. I know this is a really difficult food for people to work their way around and I don't think people should stop eating bread, but I do think everyone should be trying to select a bread that is healthier than the one they're eating at the moment. If you're just a bit fussier about the bread you eat, you can actually improve your health a lot.
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Fury as famous pub is being turned into Gail's bakery just a year after sudden closure and petition to stop chain
It's not the only Gail's opening people are unhappy about HALF BAKED Fury as famous pub is being turned into Gail's bakery just a year after sudden closure and petition to stop chain ANOTHER Gail's set to open in replacement of a famous pub has left locals devastated. The former site of the Hackney Tap in east London is revealed to be turning into a Gail's bakery. 2 The new bakery will open on 345 Mare Street on June 12, 2025 Credit: Alamy 2 The site has been considered the centre of the community Credit: Google maps It comes after the popular pub in Hackney suddenly shut down in July 2024 without explanation. The site where the pub was located has remained empty for the past year. However, Gail's posters have been spotted around the windows of the building which state: "We'll be baking here soon." This follows planning permissions that was requested a few months after the pub closed, with hopes to turn the Grade II-listed building into a food and drink hub. However, local residents and pubgoers have hit back at the update of the site becoming a Gail's. On a Hackney Reddit thread, a user shared how they were "sad to see the local pub replaced by Gail's." Another X user in response to a post about the news wrote: "If I'm not mistaken that would be the third one in Hackney. "Gentrification in progress?" There has been significant concern around the loss of independent businesses on high streets which are being replaced by chains. It even led to a petition by east Londoners to "Prevent Gail's from Establishing a Store on Our High Street." Farewell to The Thornwood: Glasgow's Community Pub Closes The petition, which has accumulated over 1,800 signatures, states Walthamstow Village has been a "vibrant local neighbourhood in for its collection of local, independent and family-run businesses." The expansion of chains like Gail's into communities is therefore perceived to threaten the "uniqueness" of high streets and "bring a risk of overshadowing our much-loved local stores due to their massive scale and advertising reach." In response to the public dismay, a Gail's spokesperson said: "Gail's is excited to confirm it is opening a new bakery in Hackney this summer. "The opening will bring Gail's craft baking to the community, including creating a number of craft baking, barista, and management roles. "We will also be donating surplus baked goods through our Neighbourly partnership, which will be distributing produce to six local charities and a school in the area. "This is part of our ongoing commitment to giving back to the communities we serve and improving access to quality food and drink on the high-street. They added: "Gail's has worked with long-term design partners Cavendish Studios to celebrate many of the Grade II listed building's original features like its large arched windows, high ceilings and wood cladded panelling with thoughtful design details."
Time Out
29-05-2025
- Business
- Time Out
A famous old pub in Hackney is being turned into a Gail's Bakery
You can't swing a cat without hitting five Gail's in London these days. Love it or hate it, the posh bakery chain has been rapidly rolling out across the capital in 2025, opening outposts in Stoke Newington, Southwark, Primrose Hill, Walthamstow, and Gatwick Airport. Now another Gail's is on the horizon in London, taking over the former site of the Hackney Tap in east London. The pub on Mare Street closed its doors suddenly in July 2024 with no explanation. The site has remained empty for the past year, but planning permission was requested a few months after the pub's closure to turn the Grade II-listed building into a food and drink spot. Now Gail's posters have been spotted in the building's windows, MyLondon reported. Londoners blamed 'people not getting drunk any more' on the pub being turned into a bakery, Metro reported. 'It is a shame people don't get drunk anymore. It is sad, we are all prioritising the gym over the pub. It might be good for your physical health but not your mental health,' one 27-year-old local said. He added: 'Community spaces are being replaced by commercial ones. This is the centre of the community of Hackney, there should be a pub on this street. There should be more social spaces here. 'It is also a shame we don't have more independent stores.' Gail's has announced on its website that the new outpost on 354 Mare Street, which the bakery is calling the Hackney Castle branch, will open on June 12 2025, serving 'artisan sourdough breads, pastries, sandwiches, and cakes alongside our specialty House Blend coffee'. The spot will be open daily from 7am to 7pm. Gail's is opening 40 new bakeries across the UK in 2025. The 53 London neighbourhoods 'gentrifying' the fastest in 2025 – full list.
Metro
29-05-2025
- Business
- Metro
Londoners blame 'people not getting drunk anymore' for Gail's takeover of pub
Tom and Anastasia agreed that young Brits have given up the boozer in favour of the gym (Picture: Luke Alsford / Metro) A pub which closed down is set to reopen as a Gail's – but Londoners fear this means Britain has fallen out of love with drinking. The Hackney Tap, on Mare Street in east London, closed suddenly last August after trading for around four years. In a post on social media confirming its closure, the pub said it was 'sorry' to announce the news but did not confirm why it was happening. Now the building where the pub was based, which is Grade-II listed, has been plastered with Gail's adverts announcing it will open there soon. It is the latest chapter in the rise of the bakery chain, which plans to open up to 40 stores this year, and the decline of independent pubs. James Newland, 27, told Metro he was 'not a fan' of the Hackney Tap's closure last July. 'It is a shame people don't get drunk anymore. It is sad, we are all prioritising the gym over the pub. It might be good for your physical health but not your mental health.' The environmental economist said that chains and commercial venues like Gail's are pushing out of social venues from high streets. James Newland bemoans the fact that people are not getting drunk anymore (Picture: Luke Alsford / Metro) He added: 'Community spaces are being replaced by commercial ones. This is the centre of the community of Hackney, there should be a pub on this street. There should be more social spaces here. 'It is also a shame we don't have more independent stores.' Chris Priestman, 28, and his flatmate Michael, 27, live opposite the Hackney Tap and joked they 'predicted it would become a Gail's as soon as it closed'. The pair are mourning the pub's closure, describing it as the one peaceful place on an otherwise bustling High Street. They told Metro the Tap's closure was another sign of gentrification in the area, after Pret a Manger opened a store around the corner just a month ago. Tom, 22, added that it was another sign that younger Brits are no longer fans of going to pubs. He told Metro: 'The younger generation are just not going to pubs. It is harder for pubs to stay in business. 'Social media are pushing healthier lifestyles and gym culture. People are drinking a lot less.' The Hackney Tap is now a Gail's under construction (Picture: Luke Alsford / Metro) 'People are losing more social interaction, but maybe they are having that interaction at the gym now.' He added that despite this, he felt the location looked like the perfect for the bakery chain. His girlfriend Anastasia, 25, added that she felt many people 'are prioritising healthier lifestyles.' She added: 'People are trying to wake up early now and get their bread in the morning.' According to a survey by UK supermarket Ocado, which was published in January, 43 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds and 32 per cent of 35 to 54-year-olds have given up alcohol entirely. Half of all under-55s now only drink alcohol on special occasions, the study also showed. The drop in drinkers has been devastating for the pub and club industry. Six pubs closed every week in 2024, leading in approximately 4,500 job losses, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA). London was the hardest hit, with 34 pubs shutting up shop. Mare Street is now filled with big brand chains (Picture: Luke Alsford / Metro) Gail's has seen this kind of controversy before. When word spread of plans to open a store in Walthamstow village in north east London, locals revolted. 1,800 people signed a petition to stop the business from opening, describing the area as a 'treasured for its collection of local, independent, and family-run businesses'. At the time, a spokesperson for Gail's said: '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 small bakeries often in closed banks or stranded restaurants. 'All of our bakeries exist in areas where the choices are wide and growing – we should be celebrating the improvement in our food landscapes.' The branch later opened as planned, despite the backlash. Maria, 41, did not hide her disappointment at another well known brand on the high street. The psychotherapist told Metro: 'There are too many chains, they are destroying local businesses. The nearest Gail's is not very close by. The Hackney Tap used to be a bustling pub (Picture: Hackney Tap/ Facebook) 'There are already so many chains here.' Daire, 26, who also used to enjoy a drink at the Hackney Tap, also said he favoured 'small and better coffee shops and small independent pubs.' But he thought there were bigger things to worry about, complaining that people are 'getting more upset about coffee than they do about what is happening in Gaza.' Gail's opened its first branch in Hampstead in 2005. It is now worth a £500 million. They have more than 150 stores and are planning to open another 30 to 40 in 2025. Metro contacted Gail's for comment. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Convicting man accused of setting fire to Quran could 'reintroduce blasphemy' Arrow MORE: Aligne's new denim collection is here – and it's all about fit, style and everyday cool Arrow MORE: London's congestion charge set to rise – here's how much it could cost you
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Britain's roads are becoming unusable
The traffic over this Bank Holiday weekend will be as bad as ever. The potholes will puncture tens of thousands of tyres, traffic will back up along the A-Roads towards the coast, and there will be the traditional lane closures on all the major motorways. Driving around the UK has always been challenging, to put it mildly, and anyone who tries to get any distance across the country has to be ready to navigate a whole series of obstacles. The trouble is that it is getting much worse. From delivery drivers and cyclists to fines, Britain's roads are becoming unusable – and that needs to be fixed before the whole country grinds to a complete halt. It would be easy to dismiss the residents of the leafy West London district of Fulham who are objecting to a new 24-hour McDonalds as typically prosperous, selfish Lib Dem-voting Nimbys. If it was an organic, artisan bakery – although obviously not hyper-capitalist Gail's – they would probably be delighted. And yet, this time they may have a point. A 24-hour fast food restaurant quickly becomes a magnet for delivery bikers who clog up the roads, wobbling haphazardly along streets they hardly know, staring into their phones as they try and find their way to a destination they have clearly never heard of. It turns quiet residential streets into death traps for anyone trying to drive to collect their kids from school, or pop out to the supermarket. With an estimated 240,000 food and delivery drivers in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics, and with the real number likely to be far higher, given that they are not exactly famous for registering with the tax authorities, the guys with the big backpacks now effectively own many streets. They have squeezed out all the other vehicles trying to get around. That is just one way that the roads have become impossible. There are learner drivers who have little clue what they are actually doing, and are now a danger not just to themselves, but to anyone else driving a car along the same road. Given that it is now virtually impossible to book a driving test – with average wait times of at least 22 weeks – many of them never actually become proper, experienced drivers. They are stuck in 'learner hell' forever. And then of course there are the cyclists, who seem to have decided collectively that traffic signals and bus lanes only apply to four-wheeled modes of transport. The days when you could drive confidently through a green light are long gone; a cyclist may well be whizzing in the opposite direction. Sure, they may well be committing numerous offences as they brazenly ignore traffic rules. But in city centres where the police no longer bother to stop shoplifting, we can hardly expect them to punish cyclists. The law is routinely ignored. Perhaps worst of all, many councils have worked out that the only way they can possibly pay for all the asylum seekers they are obliged to house is to squeeze as much money as possible out of motorists. Junction 17 to 18 of the M25 collects more than £500,000 a year in fines, while the A1 in Great Ponton makes more than £600,000. Box junctions have turned into cash registers, and parking spaces are gold mines to be ruthlessly exploited. What started as a sensible way of controlling bad driving, and rationing scarce parking space, has turned into a tax. It goes up every year, and the motorist has no option but to pay up, especially as fines double if you do not settle them immediately. In reality, this is crazy. Driving is essential to the nation's life, and to its economy. People need to get out and about to see friends, visit their families, and to go to a restaurant or shopping. Businesses need to make deliveries, to stock warehouses, and ship raw materials into their factories. There is almost no form of economic or social activity that does not involve a car or a van at some point in the process. The UK is fast turning into a country where it is no longer possible to get from A to B – and that needs to be fixed before the nation grinds to a complete halt. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
