I visited GAIL’S first airport bakery at London Gatwick and this is my must-try item

And then getting a taste test at the end of it is the cherry on top - and sometimes that’s literally the case.

So imagine my excitement when I got the invitation to visit GAIL’S first ever airport bakery at London Gatwick’s South Terminal on the opening the day.

The first line of the email read ‘Tour of GAIL’s Bakery, including product tasting….’ - there were a few lines after that in the email but to this day I still don’t know what it said - to misquote the film Jerry Maguire ‘you had me at product tasting’.

I arrived at the South Terminal with great anticipation but first I had to go through security as GAIL’S is airside, where Harrods used to be.

Once through security we were taken to the branch and I have to say I was astonished by the sheer size of the branch.

GAIL’S has around 180 branches across the country but this one is special - and you got that feeling talking to the staff and CEO Tom Molnar. The branch has 80 staff - and opens from 3am until 11pm at night.

If you have been to a GAIL’S before, you will know what to expect. But this was my first time. We were given a tour of products by team member Joelene.

We were shown the seating area, which allows for 100 people, the Barista station which had four coffee machines and wonderfully chatty staff who interacted with every customer, and then on to the food.

The sheer volume and quality of the food was a sight to behold. There were pastries, sandwiches, sweet treats and more.

And I always like to see who the ‘sausage is made’ and when you go to the till you can see the kitchen and the food being prepared and baked. And that’s what you get at GAIL’S and I suppose you can call it their USP.

Joelene took us to the kitchen - where I have to put on a rather fetching hairnet - and it was what you expect, very busy with some stunning aromas coming from the plethora of ovens. But it was calm and there was a relaxed atmosphere as sandwiches were being freshly made, buns were being baked and trays being taken to the front of shop.

I was desperate to get my hands on something and luckily Ruth from GAIL’S recommended the Cinnamon and Cardamom Bun and I was very thankful she did. It was a delight - light and fluffy and neither the Cinnamon or Cardamom dominated the flavour. There was enough of each. If you are passing through the South Terminal soon, I highly recommend you try that out.

But if you are a regular visitor to GAIL’S, the Gatwick branch is not exactly the same - they have exclusive products to the airport branch including a baseball cap, a magazine and a delightful toasted coconut, rye and maple granola.

Gatwick has attracted many quality retailers to the airport over the years and GAIL’S is another great addition to the diverse offering for passengers.

I am flying out from the North Terminal soon so I will miss out on a GAIL’S treat, but don’t worry, I am working on both Tom and Jonathan to make it happen…