We have been overwhelmed by the support we've received from the public since the City put our cafes on the market. Over six years we have seen the Lido cafe turn into a local year-round institution from almost a clean slate and Queen's Park and Highgate are twice as busy as when we took them on. It's surprising that in spite of the overwhelming local feeling that they should not go t
It's been voted the best bakery chain in Britain, but its expansion continues to divide locals who favour independent coffee shops. Love or loathe a bougie Gail's Bakery, another branch is due to open in south London - and some residents are not happy. The upmarket cafe, which is known for its £5 sourdough loaves and cinnamon buns, will open next month in the former Coopers pub in Westow Hill, Crystal Palace. Gail's currently has over 100 bakeries in London.
Federal's ever-inventive serves may have coffee purists spluttering into their pour-overs, but they've been a rip-roaring success, with queues forming at weekends. First opened in the Northern Quarter in 2014 by New Zealander Jon Perry and Portuguese-born Claudio Ribeiro, Federal is an affable, warm hug of a café, which has since opened outposts on Deansgate, Oxford Road and, as of 2025, Leeds.