Brixton Gail’s bakery to open beside Tube station next week

Brixton is due to get a new Gail’s bakery on Friday, 16 October, on Brixton Road beside Brixton Underground station. The shop will take over a former Chopstix site that has been vacant since autumn 2025.

The branch is set to open from 6am, allowing passengers to buy breakfast before travelling. Brixton is at the southern end of the Victoria line, and the station sees about 55,500 passenger entries and exits each day. Gail’s says the opening is expected to create 15 to 20 jobs across a range of roles.

Why some residents object

The planned store has prompted opposition from residents concerned about the effect of new chain businesses on Brixton’s character and independent traders. A petition against the bakery has collected more than 1,300 signatures.

The debate follows the closure earlier this year of Brixton News, a newsstand inside the Tube station that had been run by Pritesh Patel for 36 years. Patel said Transport for London told him the rent to stay would be £85,000 a year, more than double his previous rate, and that he had been priced out. Gail’s has also faced criticism over its prices: the report lists cinnamon buns at £4 and sourdough loaves from £4.90. The company has been contacted for comment.

Breakfast support partnership

The opening coincides with a partnership between Gail’s and Magic Breakfast, a charity tackling morning hunger in schools in England and Scotland. Gail’s will make a financial contribution to support 20,000 breakfasts for children at risk of hunger across the UK, including pupils at schools in Lambeth. The breakfasts are due to be provided during the school year. The amount of Gail’s contribution has not been announced.

This report draws on information from The Standard.