Greggs is on a £1billion roll!
Record sales for bakery behind vegan sausage rolls
IT may be famous for steak bakes and sausage rolls, but the future is looking anything but flaky for Greggs.
As other high street stalwarts struggle, the bakery chain made a record £1.03billion last year.
The company – which has grown from a single shop on Tyneside to a national staple – caused a storm in January when it launched a vegan sausage roll, which proved wildly popular with both vegans and carnivores alike.
And to top it all off, the firm is cele- brating its 80th birthday this year – with plans to open its 2,000th shop.
Last year’s record-breaking sales may be, in part, down to the decision to sell healthy snacks such as fruit pots, soup, salads and a vegan Mexican bean wrap, and expanding its breakfast menu.
Greggs, which already shifts 1.5million pork sausage rolls a week, could see even greater success this year, with the new vegan sausage roll getting them off to a ‘flying start’.
The £1 snack, which will now be sold in all of its shops, has proved exceptionally popular, even with meat- eaters. It is made with meat substitute Quorn and dairy-free pastry. Greggs may be a high street brand, but it has a number of celebrity fans – with actor and model Milla Jovovich once saying she would happily become ‘the face of Greggs’.
Other famous pasty aficionados include actor Thomas Turgoose, singer Cheryl Tweedy and even Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal.
The vegan rolls have proved so successful that Roger Whiteside, Greggs’ chief executive, said the business has hiked its profit predictions for 2019. Greggs is also now looking at producing vegan versions of other customer favourites such as steak bakes and pasties.
Mr Whiteside, 60, said: ‘We’ve got off to a flying start this year with the launch of the vegan sausage roll generating very strong publicity. It is the fastest-selling new product launch we’ve seen since I’ve been chief executive.’ But the vegan rolls didn’t win over everyone and sparked debate online – with Piers Morgan branding the snack ‘disgusting’ after trying it live on Good Morning Britain.
He also wrote on Twitter: ‘Nobody was waiting for a vegan bloody sausage, you PC-ravaged clowns.’ However, the chain won over even more fans with its quick comeback: ‘Oh hello Piers, we’ve been expecting you.’
Mr Whiteside revealed that Greggs has teamed up with Deliveroo and Uber Eats to test a home delivery service.
Greggs is Britain’s largest bakery chain, employing 22,000 staff in more than 1,950 shops.
‘Fastest-selling launch we’ve seen’