A MAJOR bakery chain renowned for its sausage rolls is set to open eight new branches within weeks.
It comes after the giant announced plans to open up to 160 new locations before the end of the year.
Greggs already confirmed in January it would open eight branches across the UK, including in Cambridge, Sale and London.
It has now revealed to The Sun a further eight locations where it is set to pull up the shutters on stores.
The chain will open sites in Saffron Walden, Birmingham and Edinburgh.
It will also welcome in customers to new branches in Porth, Glasgow and Bangor.
The full list of locations opening within weeks is:
We have asked Greggs what dates the eight branches will be opening and will update this story when we have heard back.
It comes with the bakery chain set to open up to 160 new branches this year in a boost for fans.
Greggs said the first 19 weeks of 2024 had seen it open 64 shops and close 37 – a net opening of 27.
The chain posted a 7.4% rise in like-for-like sales in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same three months in 2023.
It added it felt “confident” it would open up to 160 net shops this year after first announcing the plans in January.
New branches have opened at Embankment train station in London, four inside Tesco supermarkets and three inside Sainsbury’s.
The chain said it was now operating across a whopping 2,500 shops and its new over-ice drinks range was also selling well.
Opening stores is not the only move Greggs is making across the high street and in retail parks.
It is also continuing to roll out evening opening hours across some of its stores.
These extended hours are currently available in around 1,200 shops.
The chain is also building two new sites in the Midlands to increase its manufacturing and supply chain capacity.
In March, record profits meant the chain shared its biggest payday with staff, with a £17.6million bonus pot shared between 25,000 employees.
That means the average worker received £765 amid the cost of living crisis.
Greggs is also planning to open six more outlet stores in the UK this year, The Sun can reveal.
The bakery giant currently has 35 shops open across the UK and hopes to have 50 by the end of 2025.
It comes as The Sun exclusively revealed a little-known Greggs pizza meal deal hack that can save shoppers cash.
Greggs outlets stock some of the chain’s most popular items including the much-loved sausage roll – but the prices are up to 75% cheaper.
Earlier this week, it revealed a major menu shake-up with six new items being added – including a returning favourite.
Back on menus is the chicken pesto flatbread, spicy Mexican bean flatbread and cherry bakewell muffin.
The full list of new items:
Greggs Iced drinks menu:
There’s also an apple and strawberry fruit pot, vegan Mexican chicken-free bake and vegetable bake to pick from.
Greggs was founded by John Gregg in 1939, opening its first shop in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne in 1951.
It currently operates more than 2,500 locations across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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