We visit Bristol's newest bakery and cannot wait to return

GAIL’s bakery is the latest addition to Bristol’s Clifton Village, who opened their doors earlier this week (May 2).

They have been serving top restaurants and food venues over the last 30 years and opened their first neighbourhood bakery in London’s Hampstead Village in 2005.

Their Bristol bakery is the first of its kind in the South West and specialises in breads, pastries, cakes, breakfasts and lunches made with care, by hand and according to the season.

GAIL’s menu includes weekly soup and sourdough specials like Parsnip, Pear & Walnut and Seasonal Tomato soups, amazing sandwiches like the Mozzarella, Tomato & Pesto Focaccia and “Waste Not Range” made with ingredients like offcuts and wonky fruit that might otherwise be wasted and includes Almond Croissants and Cheddar Cheddar Cheese Crackers to name a few.

Bristol World was lucky to be able to have a preview of the bakery ahead of its opening and the alluring smell of baked goods alone was enough to want to return once it opens.

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We were able to sample a selection of GAIL’s freshly baked goods which were wrapped away with care so they would be safe for the journey home. The bag of baked goods included a loaf of their renowned Sourdough bread, a Pistachio, Lemon & Rose cake, a Caramel, Banana & Pecan cake, a Pecan and Cinnamon crumb cake, a Blueberry muffin, and upon recommendation, a Parmesan Chicken sandwich.

The Sourdough bread has a slightly chewy exterior and a soft, fluffy and moist centre with a light sour aftertaste.

I was blown away by the Parmesan Chicken sandwich. The bread was very soft and had a slightly sweet aftertaste, whilst the crispy breaded chicken was slightly chew and with a slight spicy aftertaste. The lettuce was fresh and the tomatoes were juicy. Overall, the sandwich was bursting with flavour, was filling and refreshing.

As for the sweet treats, the muffin was spongey, fresh and moist with a slight crispy outer layer and juicy berries, and the crumb cake was crumbly, soft and biscuit-like with a cinnamon taste. The rose cake had small pieces of pistachio weaved within the dough which had a citrusy aftertaste, was soft and slightly dense. It was also not too overly sweet.

My favourite was the Caramel, Banana & Pecan cake which was earthy and nutty as well as soft and light. The caramel also provided a nice level of sweetness.

I was saddened once the baked goods were finished but it is safe to say I will returning to GAIL’s in the near future.

GAIL’s Clifton Village will be open from 7am until 7pm daily, with the space being available for charities and community groups to use outside of these times.