Greggs plc
TypePublic
IndustryFood (Food on the go)
FoundedGosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
1939 (1939)
FounderJohn Gregg
HeadquartersNewcastle upon Tyne[1]
Number of locations
2,300[2]
Key people
Ian Durant
(Group Chairman)
Roisin Currie
(Chief Executive)
ProductsSausage rolls, pastries, pizzas, sandwiches, cakes, baguettes
RevenueIncrease £1,512.8 million (2022)[3]
Increase £154.4 million (2022)[3]
Increase £120.3 million (2022)[3]
Number of employees
21,500 (2023)[4]
Websitegreggs.co.uk
Historic shop front, Greggs, Brecon (2005)

Greggs plc is a British bakery chain. It specialises in savoury products such as bakes, sausage rolls, sandwiches and sweet items including doughnuts and vanilla slices. It is headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. Originally a high street chain, it has since entered the convenience and drive-thru markets.

History

Greggs in a Grade II* listed building on Abbeygate in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Early history

Greggs was founded by John Gregg as a Tyneside bakery in 1939.[5] It opened its first shop in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne in 1951.[6] When Gregg died in 1964, the bakery was taken over by his son, Ian, assisted by his brother Colin (who would later be convicted of the sexual abuse of children[7]). Major expansion began soon after, including the acquisitions of other bakeries such as Glasgow-based Rutherglen in 1972, Leeds-based Thurston's in 1974, Broomfields the Bakers, London, Bowketts the Bakers in Kent, Tooks the Bakers (East Anglia) and Price's (Manchester) in 1976.[8]

Expansion

In 1994, the company acquired the Bakers Oven chain of bakers' shops from Allied Bakeries.[8] In 1999, Greggs rebranded its one hundred Braggs shops as Greggs of the Midlands, and its Leeds-based Thurston chain as Greggs of Yorkshire.[9]

In 2008, Greggs rebranded its 165 Bakers Oven shops as Greggs so they could benefit from its national advertising campaign.[10] The company opened its 1,500th premises, in York, in 2011.[11]

In 2013, Greggs replaced its CEO Ken McMeikan with Punch Taverns CEO Roger Whiteside. McMeikan left the firm for Brake Bros.[12][13][14]

In 2013, Greggs began to transition out of the bakery market, reasoning that it couldn't compete with supermarkets on that front. Instead, the company switched to focusing solely on "food on the go" after discovering that 80% of its business was in that market.[15] Many of its stores now open earlier and close later, in order to target those going to and coming back from work,[16] expanding its breakfast menu,[17] and discontinuing the sale of bread and scones in many of its stores.[18]

In 2014, the company requested help from Google when an image of the Greggs logo, altered to include a parodic fake slogan referring to the firm's customers as "scum", was presented in Google search results as the actual company logo – falling afoul of imperfections in the "Google algorithm".[19] The firm's lighthearted social media response, which included a tweet sent to Google's official Twitter account offering doughnuts in exchange for fixing the problem, was noted as a "lesson in Twitter crisis management".[20][21]

In 2016, Greggs moved their head office from Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne[22] to Quorum Business Park, Longbenton, North Tyneside.[23][24]

In that same year, Colin Gregg was accused of preying upon children, partly using his philanthropic role within the company. Eventually, he was convicted in March 2017 on nine counts of indecent assault and was sentenced to imprisonment until at least 2030.[25]

In 2020, all shops closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[26]

In 2022, Greggs opened its largest location in a Primark store in Birmingham. A queue formed outside the shop 30 minutes before the grand opening, with some people running under the barriers as they were opened. A collaborative clothing range, "Greggs X Primark", was also released.[27]

COVID-19 impact

In response to the ongoing disruption, Greggs was forced to close all stores on 24 March 2020, furloughing most of its employees. On 24 April 2020, it was decided Greggs were carrying out a controlled trial of 20 stores in Newcastle with regard to safety measures taken in response to COVID-19. This was later called off; due to the amount of press coverage it was deemed dangerous and trials were carried out behind closed doors at undisclosed locations throughout the UK.[28]

After a successful trial Greggs announced it was opening 800 shops around 15 June 2020, with all the new measures in place which include perspex screens, social distancing markers and door staff. The company has also said reduced trading hours and a reduced menu will be in place until further notice. Greggs opened all shops with the new measures near the end of July 2020.[29] Some food items were reintroduced to the menu in September 2020.[30] In November 2020, the company announced it would be cutting 820 jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the company's sales.[31]

Senior leadership

  • Group Chairman: Ian Durant (since May 2013)[32]
  • Chief Executive: Roisin Currie (since May 2022)[33]

List of former chairmen

  1. Ian Gregg (1984–2002)[34]
  2. Derek Netherton (2002–2013)[32]

List of former chief executives

This post was formerly known as Managing Director.

  1. John Gregg (1939–1964)[35]
  2. Ian Gregg (1964–1984)[34]
  3. Sir Michael Darrington (1984–2008)[36]
  4. Ken McMeikan (2008–2012)[37]
  5. Roger Whiteside (2013–2022)[33]

Operations

A contemporary Greggs branch in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

In 2019, the chain had over 2,000 outlets, nine regional bakeries that make products local to the area, like Scotch Pie in Scotland, and also employed 22,000 staff.[38] Some items are only sold in particular regions.[39] The company also sells some of its products – such as bakes, melts and pasties – through the supermarket chain Iceland.[40]

Delivery service and Click & Collect

In October 2016, Greggs announced that it would be launching a delivery service on a trial basis, with plans to implement it nationwide if the trial proved to be successful.[41] The initial trial was held in Cobalt Business Park in North Tyneside, and the next trial phase encompassed the city's other 29 Greggs stores.[42]

Greggs Drive Thru and 24-hour openings

In June 2017, Greggs opened their first Drive-through, at Irlam Gateway Service Station in Salford.[43] Subsequent drive-through outlets opened in Ashby-de-la-Zouch,[44] Bradford,[45] Blackburn,[46] and Newcastle.[47] Greggs are trialling certain drive-thru stores being open 24 hours a day.[44]

In 2023, Greggs was involved in a dispute over operating 24 hours in Leicester Square after the location was refused an overnight license by Westminster Council.[48] Greggs appealed and was granted permission for late-night opening, but not 24 hours.[49] In July 2023 the company applied for licenses for 24 hour opening at sites in Canterbury and Liverpool.[50]

Greggs Moment Stores

In September 2011, Greggs opened its first Greggs Moment, a 104-seater coffee shop, in its home town of Newcastle on Northumberland Street.[51] This store was then followed by one in the nearby MetroCentre in August 2012,[52] with five outlets in operation by February 2013.[53] In August 2013, the company announced that it would discontinue its attempt to enter the coffee market, and instead focus on selling coffee from its existing stores.[54]

Greggs Outlet

Greggs also has a small number of outlet shops in Northern and Central England, Scotland and two in Wales, selling unsold stock, mis-shapes and factory rejects at a discounted price, under the name Greggs Outlet.[55][56] They were started in 1972 in Arthur's Hill, Newcastle under the name of the Greggs ‘Seconds’ shop.[57]

Products

The Greggs meat-free sausage roll (home-baked)

Products include sausage rolls,[58][59] vegan sausage rolls,[60][61][62][63] meat-free steak bakes,[64] bacon rolls,[65] croissants, pains au chocolat,[66] sandwiches,[67] and soups.[68][69]

In Channel 4's Tricks Of The Restaurant Trade, it was discovered that Greggs' cream of tomato soup contained much more sugar than was disclosed in its nutritional information.[70]

Marketing

In July 2002, American actress and model Milla Jovovich, a fan of the store and its pasties,[71] said that she would be willing to become the "face of Greggs" in a new marketing campaign if the firm approached her. However, no such approach was made.[72]

Greggs Rewards

In February 2014, Greggs launched an electronic loyalty scheme app called "Greggs Rewards".[73]

Pasty tax

In March 2012, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne proposed to simplify the taxing of takeaway food. In the United Kingdom, most food intended to be cooked and eaten at home is zero rated, meaning that businesses do not have to charge their customers the standard VAT on those products.[74]

With the pasty tax, any food besides freshly baked bread which is sold while above room temperature would be subject to the 20% VAT charge with no exception for intended serving temperature. Chairman of the company, Derek Netherton warned that such a tax would lead to "further unemployment, high street closures and reduced investment".[75] Greggs participated in a campaign to reverse this decision, which became known as the "pasty tax" or "Pasty Gate".[76]

Greggs: More Than Meats the Pie

An eight part documentary series, called Greggs: More Than Meats The Pie, which goes behind the scenes of the bakery and all its areas, was broadcast on Sky1 and Sky1 HD in April 2013.[77] Sky revealed the documentary programme's first episode was Sky1's number one original show in April, with a final total of 1.27 million viewers.[78]

References

  1. ↑ "GREGGS PLC - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. ↑ Woolfson, Daniel (5 January 2023). "Britons turn to Greggs for their dinner as the cost of living bites". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Preliminary Results 2022" (PDF). Greggs. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "At a glance". Greggs. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  5. ↑ "Takeaway market holds key to Greggs' future". The Northern Echo. 18 November 2003. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  6. ↑ "Earning a crust; How famous bakery rose from pushbike yeast deliveries Remember When a blast from the past". Entrepreneur. 19 March 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  7. ↑ "Son of Greggs founder jailed for more than 13 years for child sex abuse". The Guardian. London. Press Association. 30 March 2017. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  8. 1 2 "history". Greggs. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  9. ↑ "Greggs". Ukbusinesspark.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 August 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  10. ↑ "Chief Executive's Review and Trading Update". Greggs plc. 9 December 2008. Archived from the original on 5 May 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
  11. ↑ "Greggs plc interim management statement" (PDF). Greggs plc. 11 May 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  12. ↑ Thomas, Nathalie (24 January 2013). "Greggs poaches Punch Taverns chief". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  13. ↑ "How did Greggs conquer the High Street?". BBC News. 10 November 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  14. ↑ Rankin, Jennifer (9 October 2013). "Greggs slows sales decline as it battles to win back customers". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  15. ↑ "Greggs CEO Roger Whiteside talks turnarounds, M&S and VR pasties". Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  16. ↑ "More people are going to work on a Greggs as strong growth at breakfast time boosts sales". The Telegraph. 4 October 2016. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  17. ↑ Farrell, Sean (9 May 2016). "Salads and flat-whites boost Greggs despite high street lull". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  18. ↑ McCrum, Kirstie (19 May 2015). "Greggs the bakers are stopping selling bread and here's why". Mirror. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  19. ↑ Cresci, Elena (19 August 2014). "Why did an offensive Greggs logo show up in Google's web search?". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  20. ↑ Bold, Ben (20 August 2014). "Greggs gives lesson in Twitter crisis management after fake logo debacle". Marketing Magazine. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  21. ↑ Usborne, Simon (22 August 2014). "Was Greggs' response to its logo mishap a stroke of genius?". The Independent. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  22. ↑ Ford, Coreena (20 August 2015). "Bakery giant Greggs plans cafe move in Newcastle city centre". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  23. ↑ Ford, Coreena (29 September 2015). "Bakery giant Greggs set for Quorum Business Park move with Sanderson Weatherall help". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  24. ↑ Ford, Coreena (7 September 2016). "Jobs on the way as US giant Sitel takes largest Newcastle office letting this year". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  25. ↑ "Son of Greggs founder jailed for more than 13 years for child sex abuse". The Guardian. London. Press Association. 30 March 2017. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  26. ↑ Coronavirus: Greggs to close all stores to prevent spread BBC News 23 March 2020
  27. ↑ "Tasty by Greggs cafe and clothing collab with Primark announced". Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  28. ↑ "Welcome to". Greggs Employee Information. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  29. ↑ "Click and Collect". Greggs Collect. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  30. ↑ Bruce, Anne (4 September 2020). "Greggs expands its menu following post-lockdown reductions". British Baker. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  31. ↑ "Greggs set to cut 820 jobs as coronavirus lockdown hits bakery chain's sales". uk.finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  32. 1 2 "Derek Netherton to retire as chairman of Greggs". Post Online Media. 14 September 2012.
  33. 1 2 Johnston, Ian (6 January 2022). "Greggs appoints Roisin Currie as new chief executive". FT.
  34. 1 2 Graham, Natalie (1 June 2013). "Bringing home the bread for 50 years". Financial Times.
  35. ↑ Cumming, Ed (5 March 2016). "How Greggs conquered Britain: 'Nobody can quite believe how well it has done'". The Guardian.
  36. ↑ "Sir Michael announces retirement from Greggs". The Northern Echo. 10 April 2008.
  37. ↑ Wood, Zoe (10 December 2012). "Greggs chief and 'pasty tax' victor quits". The Guardian.
  38. ↑ "Greggs 2000th shop". BBC News. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  39. ↑ "Greggs secret menu: full list of the 23 items that you can only order in some parts of the country". inews.co.uk. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  40. ↑ "Search Greggs". Iceland Groceries. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  41. ↑ "Greggs unveils new delivery service". ITV News. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  42. ↑ Ford, Coreena (18 October 2016). "Steak bake lovers rejoice! Greggs has launched a delivery service". mirror. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  43. ↑ Boult, Adam (8 June 2017). "The world's first drive-through Greggs is now open". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  44. 1 2 Waldron, Ben (4 June 2018). "Country's second Greggs 24-hour drive-thru to open in Ashby". Derby Telegraph.
  45. ↑ "Greggs' first drive-thru in Bradford opens today". Yahoo News. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  46. ↑ "Third drive-thru Greggs in UK to open at Euro Garages site". Lancashire Telegraph. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  47. ↑ "Greggs opens fourth drive-through in Newcastle". British Baker. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  48. ↑ "Greggs wins battle to sell late-night sausage rolls in London's Leicester Square". Sky News. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  49. ↑ Butler, Sarah (16 May 2023). "Greggs wins battle over sale of hot food in Leicester Square". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  50. ↑ "A 24-Hour Greggs Is (Hopefully) Coming To Two UK Cities!". Delish. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  51. ↑ Dent, Karen (29 September 2011). "Greggs open first coffee shop in Newcastle". nechronicle.
  52. ↑ "Greggs open coffee shop at Gateshead Metrocentre". nechronicle. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  53. ↑ "Greggs Moment headed for Midlands". bakeryinfo.co.uk. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  54. ↑ "Greggs shares hit after sales and profits fall". BBC News. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  55. ↑ "Everything you need to know about Greggs Outlet Shops". greggs.co.uk. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  56. ↑ "Greggs outlet shops: where are they located and what can I buy from them?". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  57. ↑ "Welcome to the Underground World of Discount Greggs". www.vice.com. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  58. ↑ Armstrong, Ashley (2 August 2016). "Greggs: We might be going gluten-free but nothing will beat our sausage rolls". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  59. ↑ Halliwell, James. "Greggs trials cold sausage roll four-pack". www.thegrocer.co.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  60. ↑ correspondent, Rebecca Smithers Consumer affairs (2 January 2019). "Greggs launches vegan sausage roll". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 January 2020 – via www.theguardian.com.
  61. ↑ "Greggs: Vegan sausage roll helps boost profit forecast for Britain's biggest baker". Sky News. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  62. ↑ Blackall, Molly (6 January 2020). "Burger King's new plant-based burger is not suitable for vegans". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 January 2020 – via www.theguardian.com.
  63. ↑ Butler, Sarah (8 January 2020). "Greggs to pay workers £7m bonus after vegan sausage roll success". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 January 2020 – via www.theguardian.com.
  64. ↑ correspondent, Rebecca Smithers Consumer affairs (2 January 2020). "Greggs launches meatless steak bake to beef up its vegan range". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 January 2020 – via www.theguardian.com.
  65. ↑ Wilson, Amy (7 October 2010). "Greggs puts porridge on the breakfast menu as bacon butties boost sales". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  66. ↑ Dent, Karen (6 October 2010). "Greggs add croissants to their breakfast menu". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  67. ↑ Akbar, Javaria (11 November 2014). "What I Learned About Sandwiches From Working at Greggs". VICE. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  68. ↑ Rodger, James (27 April 2016). "Revealed: Greggs unveils new 400 calorie or less menu". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  69. ↑ Farrell, Sean (6 October 2015). "New Greggs menu and smarter shops boost sales ahead of forecast". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  70. ↑ Hinde, Natasha (29 November 2016). "'Tricks Of The Restaurant Trade' Makes A Shocking Discovery About Greggs Tomato Soup". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  71. ↑ "Milla munches Geordie fare". BBC News. 9 July 2002. Retrieved 16 April 2007.
  72. ↑ "Slav to love". Daily Telegraph. 8 April 2007. Archived from the original on 7 May 2007. Retrieved 16 April 2007.
  73. ↑ "Greggs launches mobile payment app with built in loyalty – Eagle Eye". Eagle Eye. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  74. ↑ "Businesses and charging VAT – GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  75. ↑ Neate, Rupert (16 May 2012). "Greggs warns pasty tax could hit sales and profits". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  76. ↑ VAT Notice 701/14 Catering and take-away food. HM Revenue & Customs. October 2011.
  77. ↑ Edwards, Samantha (19 April 2013). "Greggs TV series airs in April". British Baker. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  78. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan (29 May 2013). "'Revolution', 'Arrow' revealed as Sky's most-watched shows in April". Digital Spy. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
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