Bakery chain known for 'sensational pastries' opens in Solihull as fans say 'wonderful addition'

An upmarket bakery chain famed for its takeover of London suburbs has officially opened in Solihull - and customers have already delivered their verdict. After months of rumours, Gail's is officially open in Solihull town centre.

Aimed at the brunch, coffee and cake crowd, Gail's specialises in bread, pastries, cakes, breakfasts and lunches. Founded in 2005, the brand appears to favour opening stores in well-heeled areas, making it a hit in places like the leafy suburbs of London.

Its Solihull store is its first West Midlands venue as part of rapid regional expansion, but with a town full of coffee shops, residents have had a lot to say about its first week of operations. More than 800 people shared their reactions and views on the opening on Solihull BID's Facebook page, which confirmed the store was officially open this week.

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Commenting under Solihull BID's post, Warren Todd wrote: "The ham and cheese croissant is sensational. Also the coffee is pretty decent too." Confirming queues were already starting to build in the morning, Jane Perrins added: "I walked past this afternoon, it was buzzing! Looking forward to checking it out."

Google reviews have also been coming in thick and fast for the new venue. Joshua Bateman spoke of "teething issues", saying: "There's definitely teething issues with it being new, such as tables needing clearing sooner and stuff. It was also very busy and unclear where to queue from at times, which felt a bit chaotic and didn't help either."

But he said the food was "delicious." Rebecca Rudge said: "Wonderful new addition to Solihull. Perfect cappuccino and delicious fresh pastries. Decor is light and bright. Some of the comments are unfair as they only opened three days ago."

Karen Naylor said it was a "very busy place." Gail's has opened in the former Laura Ashley store on Solihull high street. It is now the closest Gail's location for Brummies, following the opening of a Stratford-upon-Avon branch in September.