GAIL's Bakery Employee Reviews

Busy but manageable as the staff are really helpful. The pay is also great and a nice experience overall. Lots of opportunities. Lots of opportunities and trainings available. Great people within the company and lots became friends.

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Endless days with not enough staff

Team Leader (Current Employee) - Oxford, Oxfordshire - 24 November 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?Long shifts, not enough people on shiftWhat is the most stressful part about working at the company?Not enough people on shift, especially on closing. Endless amount of jobs to doWhat is the work environment and culture like at the company?Fake! They pretend to be one thing but they are the opposite What is a typical day like for you at the company?Endless customer interaction.

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Insights into GAIL's Bakery

Based on 89 survey responses

Areas for improvement

Energising work tasks
General feeling of work happiness
Sense of belonging

Fun workplace

Team Member (Former Employee) - London, Greater London - 13 November 2023

Busy but manageable as the staff are really helpful. The pay is also great and a nice experience overall. Didn't have any experience before getting the job

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Great place to grow

Bakery Manager (Current Employee) - South London, Greater London - 29 October 2023

Great company to develop and grow within. Lots of opportunities and trainings available. Great people within the company and lots became friends. Would definitely recommend.

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Awful management.

Barista (Current Employee) - South London, Greater London - 18 October 2023

The job started out quite well. I was hired as a part-time barista, the team is (mostly) wonderful to me and helped me a lot on getting used to the job. However it's soon turned horrible when management decides to cut cost/hours, making each shifts harder and harder. The way they put people on shifts are incredibly stingy and the good people soon started leaving. They often put only 1 team leader, 1 team member and 1 barista on a shift, it only works fine when the shop is dead quiet. When it gets ever so slightly busier, imagine with all the daily admin/tasks, cleaning tables/toilets/dishes, throwing out rubbish, making coffees, restocking (CLOSING SHIFTS ARE A LOT OF WORK). Meanwhile management still expects fast and efficient customer service? I'm sorry but if you as a company don't want to put resources into actually hiring and building a team, then your customers are going to have to wait for their coffees for way more than 2 minutes. On top of that, the bakery I'm at has an outside area, where team leader/member are supposed to carry the HEAVY tables and chairs out in the morning and bring them back inside in the evening. While it's not in the job spec, as a barista you're expected to help with that. This particular task is extremely labour intensive and exhausting and the most inhumane part is that you will have to take the tables/chairs/banners/signs back and forth even when it's raining and snowing.PS: Our area manager likes to come in at peak hours to check the shop and complain about the dishes being pile up in the kitchen. If this isn't bad management tell me -

Pros

Free food for your break but you only get 20 mins.

Cons

Extremely stressful environment

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Fun place to work

Team Leader (Current Employee) - London, Greater London - 6 October 2023

It's completly different depends on which branch. But usually nice people and they have quite nice well fare for employee. But when you work in the busy shop , it's gonna be a bit hetic.

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Questionable at times

Barista (Current Employee) - Blackheath, Greater London - 17 September 2023

It can be so busy some days and doing 5:30-2/3 with only a 20 min break is a little harsh, especially at weekends. But pro is you do get most things free and end of day take home what is leftover

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not bad, but not the best either

Team Member (Former Employee) - Cambridge, Cambridgeshire - 15 September 2023

I worked at Gail’s part time as a student so my personal experience wasn’t extraordinarily stressful or exhausting as others. That being said it’s not the best place to work, at times the atmosphere can be tense. The managers can be pretty demanding and come across patronising at times. If it wasn’t for the fact I was only there a couple days in the week I would’ve left sooner. The pay is not bad, there is staff food and some days can be tolerable. It’s no different to working for a company like Starbucks / Costa / ect.

Pros

No late shifts

Cons

Patronising Managers, Unfriendly coworkers

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Productive

Barista (Former Employee) - London South East, Greater London - 9 September 2023

One aspect I've noticed is that the work environment varies greatly based on the manager in charge. A good manager can create a supportive and positive atmosphere, while a less effective one might lead to challenges. On the bright side, there are some great benefits offered to employees, which makes the job more appealing.

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Busy working environment with limited workforce

Team Leader (Former Employee) - Cambridge - 1 September 2023

- 2 pastries and limited drinks for lunch. -free pastries at the end of day. - a very short break for lunch, only 20mins. - unclear job duties for staff in different levels. - early opening time- frequent hygiene audit. - stupid to check the food rotation so often. No timer to alert for checking. - unhealthy corporate culture. i.e. need to be always supportive to the company.

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Part Time Team Member

Poor management and very obvious bias

Barista (Former Employee) - Twickenham, Greater London - 22 August 2023

Like I said, it is very poorly managed, if you’re sick they will make you find someone to cover before you go as well as not allowing you to progress within the company as they would rather have a favourable staff member of theirs be promoted. I was trying to be a head barista for over a year but had no good reason not to be promoted except for the fact my milk was a little frothy. 6 months later I tried again and all of a sudden they now can’t because I’m part time. Yet, there is someone doing worse than I am and was almost instantaneously promoted.

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so many tasks need to be completed in the same time and that is simply impossible

Head Barista (Current Employee) - London, Greater London - 18 August 2023

Pressure is incredible! Lack of empathy and respect for hard workers. There are so many tasks need to be completed in the same time and that is simply impossible. Head office constantly want bakery managers to cut hours so bakery is often understaffed while standard expectations are same. Of course you can get used to it and also you can handle all the pressure but it's certainly not healthy environment. I wouldn't recommend Gails for a full time job as a part time job its bearable . Positive side of working in Gails is knowledge about coffee you can get as a beginner if your are interested and 50% discount card. But when you work full time go to Gails on your day off it might be your last thought.

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You Don't Learn the Role Until Your Being Reprimanded For Not Doing It

Assistant Bakery Manager (Former Employee) - Harpenden - 11 August 2023

Gail's has this ability to really make you feel both appreciated and desired while really taking a toll on your mental state. I joined as an ABM after applying to be a Head Barista because they really urgently needed someone in that role and I had past experience. They expect a lot out of ABMs, and every manager, area manager, and individual from head office I interacted with wants you to act a certain way and really doesn't give you any indication of what that is. The best advice I can give is if you want to succeed in management at Gail's: you can't have a work/life balance and you already need to have a sales/KPIs/leadership head about you prior to joining. This is for people 30+ with at least 10 years experience in hospitality and years worked in multiple different environments. You will become the manager's scape-goat and be the bane of your team's existence but at least you get free food on shift and the Gail's Quarterly Awards. This is not an entry-level job. You cannot learn how things work while expecting to command this shift because no one will take the time to teach you. I recommend you build rapport with your area manager and learn everything they want from the shop, exist separately from your manager and run your store the best you can. The area manager/head office has all the real influence and the bakery manager has the same job as you just paid better. Have regular Coffee and Cake chats with your team and learn about what they want from this job, support but set expectations. When the team fails to deliver, that is on you more than your manager. Keep everything -

Pros

Free Lunches, Amazing Quarterly Parties, Additional In-House Business Training (if you are allowed to go)

Cons

Long Hours, Complicated Role, High Expectations, Sudden Store Audits

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Fun and friendly workplace

Team Leader (Current Employee) - Cambridge - 5 August 2023

As with any hospitality we have our good and bad days mostly influenced by customers etc however the team works so well together we face any challenges head on and try to always leave work with a smile.

Pros

Free lunches, great team, good management

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Ghastly. Assistant manager vile

Head Barista (Former Employee) - London, Greater London - 18 July 2023

Not happy about it at all. Truly vile assistant manager. No support for staff. Bad culture, customers trashy yummy mummies. Not an ounce of respect for hard workers

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Exhausting and very stressful

Barista (Current Employee) - London, Greater London - 16 July 2023

Always understaffed no consideration of others , other members complaining about staff they don’t do . Overworked sometimes sending you to your unpaid work 30 minutes before you leave . Getting screamed at for giving people coffee in takeaway when there is no eating in cups . Always only scheduled a single barista so you’re going to do both shots and milk and restocking and even if it’s busy no one actually helps you they just make a more mess and you always have to call mangers or team leaders for help as they are always in the office or doing something else no stays in position many call outs and no cover

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Stressful and underpaid

Head Barista/Front of House (Former Employee) - London - 23 June 2023

Staff are overworked and under appreciated, expectations from head office are unrealistic. If you are a good employee it is taken advantage of, you are given a higher workload and duties above your pay grade without increasing your pay.

Pros

Free lunches

Cons

Stressful environment, lack of understanding, underpaying, basic needs aren’t respected (calling in sick etc) and are belittled

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Horrible place to work some people are so rude

Barista/Waitress (Current Employee) - Farringdon - 18 June 2023

The management are rubbish some people have no consideration for others you will get spoken to like rubbish when it’s busy sometimes you don’t even get a break because they don’t put enough staff there

Pros

Free food

Cons

Every thing

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Great

FOH Staff (Former Employee) - London, Greater London - 12 June 2023

Great place to work, loved the staff love the food. It's great to work at a place that sells really good coffee, very high quality pastries, and artisanal bread.

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Okay

Barista (Current Employee) - London, Greater London - 12 June 2023

Rota always changeStaff stressedManagement could be a bit more trained on speaking with staffShort staffed constantly Good that you have coffees and staff food

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Ok place to work at

Team Member (Former Employee) - Reading - 10 June 2023

Can get really busy which sucks, breaks are too short but most staff is friendly. You also get free food whilst on shift and discounts if not and can take food at end of day

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