Nick Ayerst, the former managing director of Leon, will be joining Gail’s as managing director in March.
Most recently, Ayerst served as chief executive of Comptoir Group, having joined the Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean restaurant business in October 2022.
His departure was confirmed in Comptoir Group’s most recent trading update, published earlier this month.
Before his time at Leon, Ayerst spent 15 years in leadership roles at The Restaurant Group (TRG). From 2013 to 2020, he served as managing director of TRG Concessions, overseeing restaurants, bars, and quick-service outlets in airports, stations, shopping centres, and Hilton hotels.
A spokesperson for Gail’s stated that Ayerst will lead the business as it prepares for “the growth ahead.”
This follows an announcement by Marta Pogroszewska, former managing director of Gail’s and now chief operating officer at Gail’s owner Bread Holdings. She revealed that the chain’s 2023 research identified 300 to 500 potential locations for successful expansion across the UK.
In 2024, Sky News reported that Bain Capital Credit and EBITDA Investments, which acquired a significant stake in Gail’s in 2021, were planning to hire advisers to sell the bakery chain. Gail’s denied the claim, stating that there was “no sales process” underway.
Meanwhile, Dan Barrett has been promoted to managing director of Gail’s sister brand, The Bread Factory, after three years as managing director of its wholesale business. Before joining The Bread Factory, he held roles at Innocent Drinks, Deliciously Ella, Deloitte, and BT.
Both The Bread Factory and Gail’s Bakery are owned by Bread Holdings.
The first Gail’s Bakery opened in Hampstead, London, in 2005.