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Upmarket bakery chain Gail’s has sparked debate by upcycling its unsold croissants while hiking the price.
Described as “twice-baked”, the chocolate and almond croissants are advertised as part of the bakery’s “Waste Not” range, which aims to combat food waste.
Made using leftover croissants that are then topped with almond frangipane and flaked almonds, the pastries cost £4.60 – £1 more than their fresh counterparts.
The bakery chain, which is beloved by Britain’s middle classes having launched in London’s affluent Hampstead neighbourhood in 2005, has now come under fire on social media with some customers taking umbrage with the pricing strategy.
But more discerning baked goods fans have also jumped to Gail’s defence and explained that they are simply following a standard process for making almond croissants.
Gail’s told The Independent that the croissants are created as part of their bid to “make good food go further” and the sturdier texture of the day-old treats makes them perfect for rebaking.
“I’m sorry WHAT,” questioned one Twitter/X user. “You’re charging £4.60 for an item that didn’t sell yesterday because you chucked some almond on top.”
The original poster added: “The audacity at bragging about it being part of their ‘not waste’ range like we should be grateful to them & proud of ourselves for contributing to reducing food waste when they could just sell it for less money not one pound more than yesterday.
“Unsure whether to be impressed or horrified that someone has come up with a concept to capitalise yellow sticker goods to make more profit.”
The thread went far from unnoticed on the social media website and at the time of writing, it has been liked by over 10,000 users and viewed by over two million.
Reacting to the post, one Twitter/X user wrote: “Been to Gail’s a few times. Day old croissants for £4.60 is taking the mick. Won’t be going back if I need to inspect the label to check if it’s stail or not. If I want stale, I’ll buy a cheap bulk pack from Tesco and eat it over a few days.”
“Got to admire the marketing hustle that lets them sell yesterday’s goods for more with a sprinkling of almonds and an eco reduce-waste slogan,” joked another Twitter user.
However, not everyone was so critical of the bakery, with some claiming that this is the standard process of making almond croissants and the rebaking justifies the increased price.
“If you check the price of almonds right now, plus factor in that it’s been baked again – not something which occurs without using manpower and additional electricity, it’s not surprising they’re charging more for the product,” wrote one defender.
“Running a bakery is an expensive business.”
A second added: “It’s probably not the point but all the pain-au-chocolat and croissants with almond are the unsold from the day before, that’s the case in every bakery in France, and they’re always more expensive than the fresh one (the argument being that they’ve been baked twice so cost more).”
“I think it’s standard for how almond croissants are made!” added a third.
I think it’s standard for how almond croissants are made! pic.twitter.com/w6Gi4P8kIM
— Marsha Broadbent (@MarshaBroadbean) August 14, 2024
A spokesperson for Gail’s told The Independent: “We created our Waste Not range at Gail’s to make good food go further.
“Our Almond Croissants and Chocolate and Almond Croissants are strong favourites in our bakeries. The croissants are soaked in demerara syrup and topped with our house-made frangipane spread, alongside crunchy almonds.
“The day-old croissants are sturdier than fresh ones, making them the perfect bake to be used.
“We are big supporters of improving food systems, working with companies such as Too Good To Go and Neighbourly to reduce our impact on food waste and uplift communities.
“Any bakes leftover at the end of the day are shared with charitable organisations in our neighbourhoods. Through our partnership with Neighbourly, we have donated the equivalent of 81,000 meals, reaching 239 good causes.”
