When activists said in the 1970s that “personal is political”, they probably did not anticipate that people would apply the slogan to coffee lovers’ choice of pain au chocolat and pastrami buns.
Now, though, the expansion of the upmarket bakery chain Gail’s has been thrust into the centre of a row over gentrification, conservation — and war in the Middle East.
The backlash has been fuelled by misinformation that the chain is Israel-owned or backs Israel’s “war machine”, and is opposed to a ceasefire.
On Friday, in his first interview since the row broke out this month, its co-founder and chief executive, Tom Molnar, called the claims ridiculous. “Gail’s proudly has Jewish roots and there’s plenty of stuff out there celebrating our heritage and