Health-obssesed Gen Z is killing off the great British pub

The bakery boom is real and being fuelled by the health-conscious, TikTok-obsessed Gen Z who are reshaping how young Brits socialise.

As a property expert, I’m seeing first-hand how this shift is transforming our urban spaces. Independent bakeries and coffee shops are springing up across the capital at remarkable speed.

In fact, Gail’s bakery alone has 170 sites and 20 in London alone, with even more opening up soon around the likes of Crystal Palace.

They have become the new community hubs replacing the pub as the place to socialise, catch up, and enjoy a sweet treat.

Meanwhile, the British Beer and Pub Association warns that roughly one pub a day is closing across the UK. For younger generations, the idea of spending a night out on the town followed by a hangover morning is losing its appeal. Instead, they’re swapping lagers for lattes and hangovers for homemade babkas.

It might sound ironic that a generation with health at front of mind is flocking to bakeries, but wellbeing is also being catered to.

In fact, a new bakery market trend report showed there has been a 22% growth of new bakery launches with a digestive or gut health claim over the past year.

Health remains a key driver with 28% of consumers seeking wholegrains in their bakery products for gut health, and more than one in five consumers prioritise protein in their baked goods as their preferred protein source.

A quarter of Gen Z ranked health as their most important spending item, according to a recent report by The Gym Group, and even alcohol trends reflect that with Ocado recently reporting that sales of non-alcoholic Guinness 0.0 have outstripped the traditional version for the first time.

Gen Z still want indulgence, but with a side of mindfulness. A pastry and an oat latte fit the bill perfectly, they feel like a treat but without the regret of a heavy night out.

Social media has only accelerated the rise, acting as a powerful marketing tool as cafes and bakeries go viral on TikTok.

Not only will these bakeries have unique food items or things that appeal to the masses, think Dubai chocolate style products, but they are also now tapping into hosting wholesome events.

August Bakery near Clapham Common, for example, gained 12,000 Instagram followers in under a year since opening and has hosted a “Rise and Energise Yoga” morning, combining yoga, coffee and pastry in a perfectly photogenic package.

For those of us in real estate, this cultural shift has tangible effects. Homes near trendy bakeries or independent cafés are increasingly in demand.

Buyers, especially younger ones, see them as markers of a vibrant, desirable neighbourhood. The local bakery is no longer just a stop for some fresh bread but is a lifestyle statement.

Pubs will unfortunately continue to dwindle unless they offer something new or have really special food items on their menus.

But the bubble of the bakery may not last forever. If the boom continues, oversaturation could soon bite. Just as pubs have struggled to survive without a distinctive identity, bakeries too will need to innovate to stand out.

For now, as dough rises, pubs decline.

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Nathan Khider is the owner of the top-ranked property consultancy, Nathan K Real Estate, specialising in buying and selling some of London’s most unique and exclusive homes, he also featured on Season 3 of BBC’s The Traitors as a Faithful.

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