Gail's has been accused of hypocrisy after a whistle-blower revealed that the upmarket bakery throws away unsold sandwiches every two hours rather than chilling them in fridges.
The revelation, published in The Sun, will add to consumers' misgivings about the divisive chain, which has already been denounced for contributing to gentrification.
The "mere presence" of a Gail's seems to "provoke residents" – from Walthamstow in "trendy east London" to Lewes, East Sussex – into "a rage", said the Daily Mail. Gail's is being blamed for the "gentrification" of neighbourhoods because, its critics say, its arrival means "small, local shops and services" are "priced out".
When it moved into Walthamstow last year, a petition opposing it collected 1,800 signatures despite the area seeming to be the "last word in gentrified living", said The Observer. A local said she was against the arrival of Gail's because it would cause "inevitable" rent rises, thus forcing out local independent shops.
But some could see an upside to having the bakery. One admitted that there were "benefits to gentrification" and "if house prices go up, selfishly I quite like that".
Meanwhile, Gail's will continue to expand, using an AI algorithm to choose locations for new branches. "We end up with an algorithm that can tell you kind of every postcode in the country, what we might be able to do there, based on what we've done," co-founder and chief executive Tom Molnar told the Hungry podcast. The business plans to open between 30 and 40 bakeries across the UK this year and hire 1,000 more staff. | 
