PASTY lovers hailed a victory yesterday after it emerged Greggs had pulled out of Cornwall. The Cornish Pasty triumphed over pie chain Greggs after its only branch in the county closed – just a year after opening amid outrage from locals. Despite having around 1500 stores across the UK, Greggs is now back to having […]
PASTY lovers hailed a victory yesterday after it emerged Greggs had pulled out of Cornwall.
The Cornish Pasty triumphed over pie chain Greggs after its only branch in the county closed – just a year after opening amid outrage from locals.
Despite having around 1500 stores across the UK, Greggs is now back to having no presence anywhere in Cornwall.
Delighted locals branded the decision “Greggs-it” and hailed it as a vindication for the traditional baked favourite.
Owner of Polnoon Pasties Jamie Kilpatric, 43, who has been making pasties in Cornwall for the past 19 years, told The Sun: “It was foolish for Greggs to move into Saltash. Maybe further down, like Newquay, they would have more success with tourists, but Cornish people like Cornish pasties.
“We tried different flavours, like chilli and things like that, but people just want traditional pasties.
“I just think Cornish people are used to the real deal. I don’t mean that Greggs’ is rubbish, to be honest I’ve never tried it.
“I think when there are real Cornish pasty makes around it’s hard for companies like that to come in and rule the roost and all that, Greggs’ certainly didn’t in Saltash.”
David Rowe posted: “You can’t beat a traditional Cornish bakery!”
Carole Serbert added: “We don’t want that slapped up junk down here anyway, we have hundreds of lovely eateries so no need for them.”
Daniel Harvey said: “Couldn’t of picked a more stupid place to open one.”
John Carrier said: “They vaunt survive down here because we don’t eat junk food in Cornwall.”
Phil Tozer-Martin added: “I seem to remember commenting at the time that it wasn’t gonna work, no sympathy… shut the door behind you on your way out Greggs.”
Another said: “We had Brexit – now it’s Greggs-it!”
Greggs opened its first store in Cornwall in September 2018 but was branded “Satan’s franchise” and “Junk” by pasty-loving residents.
However not everyone was happy about it – some people were upset about missing out on the vegan steak bake, while another claimed the Cornish are “stuck up about their bloody pasties”.
Bosses at Greggs this week confirmed its store Saltash in Cornwall had now closed after a “thorough review”.
At the time of the Greggs’ opening, people in the area said it happened with “no fanfare” and after two weeks of trading it still didn’t appear on Greggs’ website store locator section.
A spokesperson for Greggs, said: “We confirm that following a thorough review, the Greggs at Saltash Service Station closed.
“We continue to look for new opportunity sites across the South West of England as part of our long-term plans.”
