Gail’s Bakery: ‘We can provide a better alternative’

While many brands are on a journey to become more sustainable, for premium, craft-minded Gail’s, this kind of discerning approach is part of the company’s DNA.

“It’s a craft mindset,” Tom Molnar explains, as he discusses the company’s entry to the Sustainability category at the MCA Hospitality Awards.

“You start out with people who are intentional, who do not want to waste things, who want to buy top ingredients, which are non-commoditized.”

While mass food production has become increasingly industrialized, Gail’s has leaned into craft principles as it scales up.

Its core product, bread, is one the most popular and most widely eaten food items in the world. Yet mass productions means it is often subject to adulteration and additives to extend its shelf life – things Gail’s naturally would prefer to avoid.

Not only would adding chemicals be antithetical to the end product at Gail’s, it also makes for a negative impact on the wider food system – a key concern for Molnar.

“As we grow up and get a little bit bigger, our responsibility is greater to make sure that we play an increasingly significant part in improving our food system,” he says. “We can provide a better alternative.”

Gail’s looks to have a positive impact on the environment in three ways – in its supply chain, in-house operations, and within the communities it operates.

In its supply chain, a big part of this is supporting small innovative producers who practice regenerative farming.

Gail’s is working with Wildfarmed, which aims to restore and diversify natural habitats for sustainable production.

While the grain is more expensive – sometimes 200% to 250% higher than premium flour – Molnar is putting his money where his mouth in backing more sustainable farming practices.

The company also works with other small innovative farmers, supporting unusual varieties and rotating crops, which is better for health of the soil.

For example, Gail’s put crisps on the menu for the first time in 18 years in order to use a suppliers’ glut of potatoes.

“They want to do something different, but they’re afraid if they do something different, they’re not going to have a market for it,” he says.

“We’ve said, we’re the market for it. We’ve got skilled people who can handle whatever variety comes out of the ground.”

This isn’t always easy – smaller producers require more admin to work with – but the pay-off is worth it, Molnar believes.

“It’s not just about price. It’s the quality of the product. How it’s made, the processes.

“We put the time in to help support them because they’re doing the right thing. I hope that they will become medium sized businesses someday.”

Another key pillar of Gail’s strategy is in its in-house operations, which includes choices on packaging, energy and interior design.

Gail’s is aiming to use 100% renewable electricity, and has installed some test solar panels.

It is looking to transition to more reusable packaging, moving from cardboard to longer term plastic to reduce waste, and is investing in balers to separate and press recyclable material.

Another key focus in in property, and using as much of the previous fit-out as possible. When new products are bought new, the materials should be higher quality and longer lasting.

Gail’s is aiming to build one site that has nothing new bought at all, with the best effort so including 70%-80% reused material.

“One of the biggest choices you make when you go and build a new Gail’s is, is how much can you leave? Our team is really good at upcycling, not throwing stuff away.

“Whatever you leave means you don’t need to take from the environment.

“It does mean that we don’t always get exactly what we want, you have some complexity that you have to manage forever, but that’s ok.”

The third key strand is people and communities, and getting an educational message out there.

“We do have a pretty well-developed opinion of what the right way to go is,” Molnar says.

This includes a commitment to publishing paid communication every quarter about what the company thinks are some of the answers to some of the problems, with the latest missive focusing on fermentation.

Another important aspect in the community strand is around waste, and ensuring anything edible that isn’t sold can go to a worthy cause rather than by thrown away.

“We’ve spent a lot of money over the last 15 years building communities to help pick it up and get it to charity.

“We’re hitting like 85%-90%, but we getting to that last 10 to 15 was really hard.”

As a result, last year Gail’s began working with social organisation Neighbourly, which takes its unsold products and distributes them to the needy.

“They want to help. We could do it on our own. But it costs us a little bit to do. We thought, let’s pay them instead, and help them build their network to do it better.”

The Sutainability category at the MCA Hospitality Awards is sponsored by Pernod Ricard