Gail’s Bakery is a UK-based business and not owned by Israelis, despite being founded in 2005 by Israeli baker Yael (Gail) Mejia and entrepreneur Ran Avidan. The company is currently owned by American investment firm Bain Capital and UK investor Luke Johnson. While it has Jewish roots, it is a British entity, not foreign-owned, and does not fund Israel.
Our first GAIL's bakery opened in London's Hampstead High Street in 2005. Today, we have bakeries in neighbourhoods in and around London, Oxford, Brighton and beyond.
Gail's bakery chain's owner is the private equity firm Bain Capital, which acquired its parent company, Bread Holdings, in 2021 alongside EBITDA Investments. Luke Johnson, a former chairman, retains a minority stake and serves as chairman, while Tom Molnar is the CEO, leading the company's significant expansion, with reports in late 2025 indicating Bain was exploring new investors for further growth.
UK companies supporting Palestine often focus on ethical sourcing and fair trade with Palestinian farmers, with Zaytoun and Canaan Fair Trade (though Canaan is Palestinian, Zaytoun distributes in the UK) being key examples, while ethical consumer guides recommend UK banks like Co-op Bank, Triodos, and building societies for ethical banking, avoiding firms linked to Israeli settlements or military support. The BDS movement also highlights companies to boycott for complicity in occupation, suggesting support for Palestinian businesses like Zaytoun and Rift Valley Farms (dates/oil).
1) Boycott Israeli produce like avocados, oranges, herbs and dates. 2) Boycott Coca-Cola and its brands Schweppes, Sprite, Fanta, Innocent, Appletiser, Smart Water and Costa Coffee. Israeli fresh produce, like avocados, oranges, herbs and dates, is grown in illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land.
Yes, Lush actively supports Palestine through various initiatives, including closing stores in solidarity, fundraising for Palestinian charities (like for child mental health and medical aid in Gaza), halting sourcing from Israel-linked suppliers, and publicly advocating for Palestinian rights, showing strong support through actions like their "Watermelon Slice" soap fundraising and closing UK shops for a day in protest against the situation in Gaza.
What is Shein? Founded in China in 2012 and now based in Singapore, Shein, which is privately owned by its founder and CEO, Chris Xu, has grown to become a global leader in “fast fashion”, whereby clothes are produced at low cost and adapt quickly to new trends.
How is Costco bolstering Israel's colonial expansion and its economy? Costco sells a variety of products made by Keter Plastics, an Israeli-owned company with plants in two illegal Israeli colonies established within the occupied West Bank, as well as plants within Israel.
Establishment. The company was founded by a partnership between Michael Marks, a Polish Jew born in Slonim (now Belarus), who had migrated to Leeds, England in the early 1880s, and Thomas Spencer, a cashier from the English market town of Skipton in North Yorkshire.
While Kellogg's has not openly supported Israeli policies, its connections with Israeli companies, have led to calls for boycotting Kellogg's products among Palestinian activists.
In 2021, Bain Capital, a private investment firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, acquired a majority stake in Gail's from Risk Capital Partners, valuing Gail's at £200 million, with the entrepreneur Luke Johnson retaining a 15% stake. As of August 2024, there were 131 branches in the UK.
Do you franchise? We are glad to see you are interested in opening a bakery. Unfortunately, we don't franchise but you can register your interest in the 'general enquiries' section of our help widget, located at the bottom left of the screen.
Originally from Dundee, these determined young chaps embarked on their greatest adventure in 1898, when they took over the bakery of William Milne & Sons of 29 High Street, Inverness.
