The Nice Cornish Bake Off? Greggs faces battle with native pasty makers because it eyes Cornwall enlargement

Greggs says it needs to open new shops in Cornwall and the South West of England – in a transfer that might put the bakery chain toe-to-toe with conventional Cornish pasty makers.

The firm’s boss, Roisin Currie, says the corporate is on observe to open 150 new outlets nationwide this yr – and will open much more if the precise websites grow to be obtainable.

She says the corporate is especially focused on new websites in Cornwall and different areas of the South West of England.

It is ready to open its fourth store in Cornwall, at a enterprise park in Saltash, immediately.

But Greggs – based in Tyneside in 1939 and famed for its sausage rolls and steak bakes – will face a aggressive grab-and-go market within the county, the place the Cornish pasty has been a staple for a whole bunch of years.

“The opening strategy is going to plan and the new location in Cornwall is a key part of that,” Ms Currie mentioned.

“Obviously we are a brand that started from the North and the natural growth of the business from there means there are some parts of the country, such as in Cornwall and the South West, where we see more scope to open sites.”

Greggs at present operates round 2,300 outlets throughout the UK – and hopes to increase to greater than 3,000 as a part of its long-term progress technique.

Quite a lot of new websites within the firm’s progress plan goal vacationers and motorists, with openings at forecourts and repair stations.

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In May, the bakery chain revealed in May that gross sales surged by almost a fifth over the beginning of 2023 – regardless of the cost-of-living disaster.

It mentioned its low-cost meals remained “compelling” to cash-strapped customers.

“We’re looking very positively towards the summer and hopefully this warm weather will mean more people out and about, and ultimately looking for somewhere to eat,” Ms Currie mentioned.