Brixton locals have shown concern for independent businesses after a Gail’s Bakery opened outside the underground train station yesterday.
The café was opened despite a petition opposing it reached over 1,300 signatures since its creation in June.
Gail’s has become a signifier of gentrification for many online, with the chain’s pricier pastries and coffees indicating an influx of higher-income residents to an area.
Ruby Bukhari, 32, founder of Brixton Coalition and creator of the petition, said: “Fundamentally, you are not giving the opportunity to local businesses to grow, develop, to give them a prime spot where there’s a lot of foot traffic.
“So we’re saying to our local people that we’re not interested in the local economy and supporting local businesses.”
She said that the space was previously occupied by a Chopstix, and before that a Starbucks, but larger corporations struggle financially due to the sheer variety of independent stores in Brixton.
Despite this, the presence of a chain so close to the train station will cause issues for local, lesser-known businesses.
A press release from Gail’s Bakery stated that Brixton Underground Station sees an average of 55,000 commuters enter and exit each day.
Cllr Serafina Spicer, 29, Green councillor for Brixton Windrush, says she worries that those who travel through Brixton and don’t know the area well will head to the station’s closest café, which is now a Gail’s.
She said: “I don’t think that this is the end for independent business on Brixton High Street.
“But I do worry about what it might mean for local businesses in Brixton, of which there are many, many incredible ones.”
Ken Nally, 41, is the owner of F Mondays, an independent café with two locations within Brixton, one of which is just around the corner from the station.
He said: “We have been planning forward a little bit to cope with it, because unfortunately I think Gail’s is definitely going to appeal to our customer base directly.
“They’re sort of capitalising on what small businesses have built up in the past and just taking from our hard work.”
Tosca Mzera, 34, runs a tattoo studio in Brixton and has lived around the area for 14 years.
She said: “They just seem to go into spaces where they can see independents doing really well, and I just don’t really support that.”
Mzera had two coffee cups in hand when I stopped her, and she pointed me down the road to Beans & Beats – a café owned by Brixton local Winston Dwyer.
She added: “Winston’s fab, he plays great music.
“Oftentimes, especially on the weekends, there’s queues out the door to go to Winston’s place.”
When asked for comment, Gail’s Bakery referred to a press release in which stated they hope to provide 20,000 nutritious meals to children across the UK, including those living in Lambeth, in partnership with Magic Breakfast.
They added the Brixton site has been vacant since Autumn 2025 and is now being brought back into use as a GAIL’s Bakery, creating 15-20 jobs across a range of roles.
Feature image credit: Kitty Connolly
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