Meet Riadh, our Bakery Manager at Abbeville Road. Riadh has been part of team GAIL’s for almost three years, starting his journey in Wimbledon and moving over to Abbeville Road in the Autumn of 2016. We asked Riadh our Baker’s Dozen of questions to delve into life as a Bakery Manager in SW4.
1. What time did you get up this morning?
6:30am, bright and early, for a day off!
2. How do you take your coffee?
If I’m not heading in to work I make a very basic latte at home. On days I’m working, I wait until I get to the bakery to have my latte because the coffee is so good!
3. What do you usually have for breakfast?
Every day is different, but always a latte first. Sometimes I have a croissant or pain au chocolat, and sometimes fresh baguette with butter and jam. I always finish breakfast with a double espresso to conclude the most important moment of the day.
4. How long have you been working for GAIL’s?
It’s been almost three years already! My GAIL’s journey started when I helped open our Wimbledon bakery in May 2015, then I took over the Abbeville Road bakery as manager in October 2016.
5. What’s the first food you remember loving as a child?
Mille Feuille, the French term for a vanilla slice or custard slice, with layers of pastry and crème patisserie.
6. Have you ever baked bread? How did that go?
I tried with my grandma when I was young, she used to bake a very traditional, round-shaped bread.
7. What does the smell of freshly baked bread remind you of?
It reminds me of break time at my primary school, when we used to get hot baguettes from the neighbourhood bakery across the road. The baker was always so nice to us, even though we’d go in big groups of at least 10 pupils at once.
8. What do you spread on your toast?
Butter and strawberry jam, and sometimes Nutella.
9. What is the best part of your day?
Breakfast time for sure. After the struggle of waking up, my first coffee is the key moment of my day, and I try to make the most of it.
10. What’s in your ultimate sandwich?
The GAIL’s mini avocado and egg sandwich is the perfect sandwich every time, I could eat them non-stop!
11. If we could give you a lifetime supply of anything from GAIL’s, what would that be?
It is very hard to choose, I have so many favourite GAIL’s goodies! Other than the mini avocado and egg sandwiches, my favourites are the baguettes, the croissants and the blueberry custard brioches.
12. Our bread is made with three primary ingredients. Four if you include time. What are the main ingredients in your life and work, concrete or abstract?
Setting goals and working hard to achieve them. Helping people whenever I can. Love and respect.
13. What would you do for a living, if not this?
I would go back to my trained field: medicine.