The surprising fast food chain that’s older than McDonald’s and has been going for 85 years

McDonald’s is celebrating its 50th day successful the UK this year, with the archetypal golden arches having appeared successful the UK successful Woolwich successful 1974.

The fast nutrient chain has been astir overmuch longer than that though, as the very archetypal McDonald’s edifice really opened successful San Bernardino, California successful the US successful 1940.

But it wasn’t until 1955 that the concern started to go Maccies arsenic we cognize it today.

However, it turns retired there’s a astonishing UK concatenation that’s been astir adjacent longer than McDonald’s has — we’re talking, of course, astir everyone’s favourite sausage rotation and steak cook spot.

Yep, that’s right, it’s Greggs!

When was Greggs founded?

Greggs was founded successful 1939 by John Gregg, but backmost past determination was nary iconic quadrate logo and helium didn’t person shops connected the precocious thoroughfare selling doughnuts, oregon cheese and legume melts.

The concern was overmuch simpler — John and his woman worked arsenic a squad delivering baking goods, specified arsenic caller eggs and yeast, to families successful Newcastle connected a bike. 

It wasn’t until 1951 that the precise archetypal Greggs Bakery launched connected Gosforth High Street, and it was known arsenic Greggs of Gosforth. The store sold caller breadstuff and different tasty treats.

John ran the store until his decease successful 1964, erstwhile the concern was taken implicit by his lad Ian, who expanded the marque passim the 70s, acquiring different bakeries astir the country, earlier going nationalist successful 1984.

By 2000 Greggs had much than 1,000 sites crossed the UK aft acquiring the Bakers Oven chain, but it wasn’t until 2008 that they decently rebranded to go the Greggs we each cognize and emotion today. 

And they’ve lone kept connected increasing and evolving ever since with much locations, a caller offering including sandwiches, soups, and vegan sausage rolls, and adjacent manner collabs with Primark to observe the opening of their bakery wrong the elephantine Birmingham store.

The concatenation opened a grounds 220 caller shops passim 2023, and planned to unfastened betwixt 140 and 160 caller shops this year. The existent full is much than 2,450 and their extremity is to scope 3,000.

As good arsenic regular shops and cafes, the concatenation besides has a fig of outlet stores, wherever unsold day-old nutrient from different Greggs sites, arsenic good arsenic accumulation sites, is redistributed and sold astatine a little price.

Locations for these see Newcastle, Cardiff, Glasgow, Southampton, London, and Sheffield.

Most precocious Greggs has been causing a disturbance by teaming up with Fenwicks successful Newcastle to motorboat what has been dubbed ‘Posh Greggs’.

In November 2023 they launched a ‘fine eating experience’ astatine the section store, and this twelvemonth it’s a champagne bar wherever you tin brace your pastries with £425 drinks.

There was besides a 22 carat gold-plated Greggs jewellery postulation launched for London Fashion Week 2024, which included sausage rotation earrings, a Jammy Heart Necklace and a £96 charm bracelet hand-crafted by modern British creator Dion Kitson.

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