Gail’s Bakery takes quiches and souffles off menu as avian flu triggers shortage of eggs

THE upmarket bakery chain chaired by former Patisserie Valerie chief Luke Johnson has been forced to remove soufflés and quiches from its menu because of egg shortages.

Gail’s Bakery, which opened its 100th branch in November, is the latest chain to be hit by the fallout from avian flu.

Pub chain Wetherspoon took eggs off the menu last month amid a national shortage. Meanwhile, Lidl and Asda have rationed eggs in recent weeks.

Gail’s traces its history back to Gail Mejia, who baked bread for some of London’s top chefs in the 1990s.

The business expanded from a wholesale operation to the high street in 2005 when it opened its first store in Hampstead, north London.

Risk Capital Partners, the investment vehicle run by Mr Johnson, invested in Gail’s Bakery in 2011. Sales increased fivefold over the following decade. US private equity fund Bain Capital acquired Gail’s Bakery and sister wholesale arm The Bread Factory, alongside EBITDA Investments in a £200m deal.

Mr Johnson retains a stake in the business and continues as its chairman. Mr Johnson, the ex-chairman of Pizza Express and Channel 4, hit the headlines in 2019 when Patisserie Valerie – a quoted business that he held a stake in and chaired the board – collapsed amid fraud allegations. He said that he had been tricked into believing a false picture of the company’s health. Gail’s Bakery managed to ride the pandemic comparatively well, buoyed by the popularity of sourdough bread.

Tom Molnar, chief executive and cofounder of Gail’s Bakery, said: “Our business like many others has been impacted by egg shortages as a result of the avian flu. This impacted just a small handful of Gail’s products, for example our egg slider soufflé and quiches.

“We have now returned to our desired volumes thanks to great partnership with our egg suppliers.”

Egg shortages are the first example of a food supply crisis, farmers warned last week. Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union, said: “British food is under threat... at a time when global volatility is threatening the stability of the world’s food production, food security and energy security.

“I fear the country is sleepwalking into further food supply crises, with the future of British fruit and vegetable supplies in trouble.”

‘British food is under threat. I fear the country is sleepwalking into further food supply crises’