Woke UK 'town' rally to push out popular bakery chain with pro-Brexit boss
Furious residents have claimed the new bakery would drive out independent retailers from the area.
Locals in the East End town of Walthamstow have taken up arms to prevent a popular bakery chain from opening its doors in the area.
Residents have flocked to sign a petition demanding local authorities stop the chain Gail's from opening a new shop citing concerns about independent retailers in Walthamstow Village.
Over 300 people have backed the petition in their bid to "safeguard the soul of our beloved neighbourhood."
The petition read: "Gail’s, although respected for their quality, brings a risk of overshadowing our much-loved local stores due to their massive scale and advertising reach.
"This could lead to decreased visibility and pedestrian traffic towards independently run businesses, threatening their very existence and dismantling the character and diversity crucial to Walthamstow’s charm.”
Locals have also expressed opposition to the plans because of the pro-Brexit and anti-lockdown views of minority company investor Luke Johnson.
Mr Johnson, the company’s part-owner and chairman, has previously called climate activists “alarmists” and has been critical of “wokeness” at universities.
A barista at a local independent coffee shop, Adrian Spurdon, said Mr Johnson's views clash with the position of many residents in the area.
He cited a spontaneous counter-protest against far-right rioters last week as one of the reasons suggesting the community would not welcome a business supported by the likes of Mr Johnson.
He told The Telegraph: "We’ve just had this big, diverse counter-protest to protect Walthamstow from the far-right and I doubt Luke Johnson would support that.
“He is very different to the people here. His views are not the same.”
The bakery chain was launched in 2005 and currently operates across 130 shops in the UK.
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Gail's boasts Kate, the Princess of Wales, among its customers and it's often associated with upper-middle-class areas – so much so that the Lib Dems specifically targeted constituencies with one of their shops in the run-up to the 2024 election.
A 2021 report from the Runnymede Trust and the Centre for Labour and Social Studies found that Walthamstow had become "severely gentrified" over the past decade.
Petition creator James Harvey argued the opening of Gail's bakery would further threaten the local community and its "uniqueness."
He wrote: "Walthamstow Village, a vibrant local neighbourhood in London, UK, is treasured for its collection of local, independent, and family-run businesses.
“Our high street, a spotlight for these coveted establishments, faces a threat to its uniqueness with the prospect of Gail’s, a large-scale bakery chain, setting up shop on it.”
A spokesperson for Gail's rejected the suggestion and insisted the community should celebrate "the improvement in our food landscapes".
They said: "We understand the concern around chains, but our view is that a healthy high street is one with a diversity of quality offers, each delivering their best.
“High streets evolve over time and we open our small bakeries often in closed banks or stranded restaurants.
"All of our bakeries exist in areas where the choices are wide and growing – we should be celebrating the improvement in our food landscapes.”
