Lily Sawyer is an in-house writer for EME Outlook Magazine, where she is responsible for interviewing corporate executives and crafting original features for the magazine, corporate...
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GAIL’s is celebrating its Craft Community, highlighting how long-term partnerships with farmers and producers are driving product innovation, reducing waste, and strengthening the UK’s food system through responsible sourcing.
As consumers increasingly demand greater transparency and sustainability from the brands they support, GAIL’s is demonstrating how long-term supplier relationships can create value far beyond the bakery counter.
The modern craft bakery has unveiled its Craft Community – a network of farmers, growers, and producers that has helped develop more than 50 new products over the past 18 months while supporting regenerative agriculture, reducing food waste, and investing in local food economies across Britain.
Today, approximately 15p in every £1 spent at GAIL’s is invested through businesses that form part of its Craft Community, underlining the company’s commitment to building a more resilient and responsible food system.
LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS
Rather than focusing solely on efficiency and cost, GAIL’s has built its supply chain around enduring relationships with producers that share its commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and environmental stewardship.
The Craft Community spans a diverse network of regenerative farms, family-run dairies, artisan food producers, and independent drinks makers. Together, these collaborations help preserve traditional skills, bring innovative products to market, and support Britain’s wider food culture.
The initiative has already delivered measurable results, including the development of more than 50 new products and partnerships that have utilised over 2,000 tonnes of surplus and imperfect fruit and vegetables through organisations including Daily Dose.
Meanwhile, collaborations across the network have also prevented 11 tonnes of cheese offcuts from entering waste streams, supported the Natoora Farm Fund, and raised almost £15,000 for charity through supplier partnerships.
Roy Levy, Creative Director at GAIL’s, highlighted the broader impact these relationships have beyond the business itself.
“The Craft Community is proof that growth can create value beyond our own bakeries. Every partnership is built on a shared belief that better food starts with the people who grow, make and care for it. By investing in long-term relationships rather than simply buying ingredients, we’re helping create new products, reducing waste and supporting producers who are shaping the future of British food. As GAIL’s grows, we want our impact on the food system to grow with it.”
Roy Levy, Creative Director at GAIL’s
SUPPORTING BRITAIN’S PRODUCERS
The businesses within the Craft Community represent a broad cross-section of Britain’s food and drink sector.
Alongside these artisan producers are businesses tackling sustainability challenges directly, including Daily Dose, which rescues surplus fruit and vegetables to create cold-pressed juices, and Brades Farm, a carbon-smart dairy focused on producing high-quality milk through science and technology.
Together, these partnerships demonstrate how collaboration across the supply chain can deliver commercial innovation while supporting responsible production methods and reducing waste.
A GROWING COMMITMENT
The Craft Community forms part of GAIL’s wider ambition to improve the food system through better ingredients, traceable supply chains, support for regenerative farming, and a commitment to reducing unnecessary waste.
As the bakery continues to expand across the UK, it believes these long-term relationships will play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of British food.
By using growth to support exceptional producers, strengthen local food economies, and encourage more sustainable practices, GAIL’s aims to demonstrate that business expansion and responsible food production can go hand in hand.
This article was produced by the editorial team at EME Outlook and published as part of the Outlook Publishing global network of B2B industry magazines.
Outlook Publishing delivers industry insights, company stories, and sector coverage across manufacturing, mining, construction, healthcare, supply chains, food production, and sustainability.
EME Outlook provides ongoing coverage of organisations and developments shaping industries across Europe and the Middle East.
Lily Sawyer is an in-house writer for EME Outlook Magazine, where she is responsible for interviewing corporate executives and crafting original features for the magazine, corporate brochures, and the digital platform.
