Goujons, wedges and pizza are driving growth at Greggs

Sales at the beginning of the year were up 17 percent compared to 2022, partly because the first few months of the previous year were affected by the Omicron variant, Greggs said.

Hot items like chicken goujons and wedges are proving popular, as is strong demand for pizza as the retailer pushes further into the evening market.

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The court battle over Greggs’ right to sell hot food after 11pm in his Leicester Square flagship store has come to an end.

The north-east-headquartered company was due to appeal Westminster City Council’s decision to prevent renewal of the license at a three-day hearing, but the decision was overturned after the appeal was withdrawn.

Greggs is understood to be in talks out of court with the council and hopes to reach an agreement.

This raises fears that the nightly loading in central London would lead to “disorders and anti-social behavior”.

Meanwhile, vegan products have been continuously launched over the years to cater to the growing market, including the vegan sausage roll and, more recently, vegan chicken-free casseroles.

It’s also preparing to launch a new line of flatbreads, beginning with a new Mexican chicken flatbread hitting stores Thursday.

Greggs chief executive Roisin Currie told the PA news agency that consumers “love the versatility” of hot and cold options.

“It’s about offering that choice so people come by more often,” she said.

“They can always come back and try a lot of different things, but also their favorites that they love.”

Still, sales growth should “normalize” over the remainder of the year, the company said, as inflation begins to ease.

Still, the company still expects cost inflation to reach about 9 to 10 percent this year, driven by employee wage pressures and higher energy costs.

Greggs has continued to expand its store inventory, opening 63 new stores and closing 25 franchises over the period.

As of mid-May, the company had more than 2,360 stores and had previously indicated that it aims to reach more than 3,000 across the UK over time.

The company is increasingly targeting busy commuter areas with the opening of new stores at London’s Canary Wharf railway station, Cardiff and Glasgow airports.

Ms Currie said they had marked “important and exciting” openings, adding that the company had opened two other new Tasty cafes in Primark stores, including in Bristol, to attract customers “on the go”.

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The group is currently selecting a location to test a 24-hour drive-thru, she added.

Greggs warned the macro backdrop remains “challenging” due to ongoing cost inflation and squeezed household incomes.

However, the chain said it is confident its “excellent value proposition continues to be compelling.”

There are currently no plans to increase the prices of its products, Ms Currie confirmed. The national median price for the popular sausage roll is currently £1.20, having cost £1 in early 2022.