Greggs overtakes Costa to become the UK's biggest coffee chain with 2,737 outlets and £1.80 Americanos

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

Budget bakery Greggs has overtaken Costa Coffee to become the UK's largest branded coffee operator for the first time, according to the Allegra World Coffee Portal's Project Cafe UK 2026 report. Greggs now runs 2,737 outlets against Costa's 2,707 after adding 34 new shops in the first half of this year alone. The sausage roll giant is rated the UK's number-one brand for value by YouGov and plans more than 100 further openings across 2026, with a long-term target of 3,500 sites.

Costa, by contrast, posted losses of more than £13m for 2024 and is focusing on refurbishment rather than expansion.

Greggs' £1.80 Americano undercuts most rivals, though Costa still edges it on caffeine dosage according to a separate report.

Greggs recently renamed its Sausage, Bean and Cheese Melt 'The Sausage, Bean and Cheese Thing' after Andy Burnham got the pastry's name wrong on air.