Greggs is to axe 740 factory jobs and close four manufacturing sites amid warning of WORSE inflation ahead

From the Newshound archive · first published 30 September 2026.

Greggs has begun consulting on the closure of four of its 14 manufacturing and logistics sites — at Enfield, North Lakes, Pettigrews and Seaham — leaving 740 workers facing redundancy over the next two and a half years. The bakery chain told shareholders on Wednesday that "there are signs of greater inflationary pressures" ahead in 2027, even as third-quarter sales climbed 7.7 per cent. The closures carry an initial cost of £60 million but are projected to deliver annual savings of £20 million once the process is complete.

Chief executive Roisin Currie described the changes as 'necessary' to keep Greggs competitive and well positioned for its longer-term goal of 3,500 UK stores, up from around 2,796 currently.

The redundancies are limited to manufacturing operations — retail shops are unaffected, and between 100 and 110 new stores remain on course to open by the end of 2026.

Additions to the menu such as Matcha lattes and a Steak and Stilton bake helped drive the sales increase, though an analyst cautioned that, stripped of inflation, existing stores are contributing less than half of that growth.