Greggs on a roll, or should that be a coffee and a sandwich?

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy When Greggs spearheaded a victorious crusade against the Government’s planned VAT charge on freshly baked goods – the so-called “pasty tax” – it won plaudits for standing up for the man and woman on the street. “We were confused about what we were trying to win with and we made the strategic decision that we were going to focus all our efforts on the food-on-the-go market.” Customers shunned Greggs for their take-home needs, opting for the supermarket convenience stores which flooded the high street, and wanted their coffee and snacks on the soft, comfy sofas and minimalist design offered by the likes of Costa and Starbucks. There is a lot of expensive healthy food on the go, but there is very little in really good value, freshly prepared healthy food and, after coffee, it’s the fastest growing area for Greggs.” Also on his to-do list is Greggs in hospitals, along with more train stations, airports and universities. Greggs’ chief executive, Roger Whiteside, said: “We’ve got stores up and down the land and we are in a lot of people’s lives, so I guess to some extent we must be an economic indicator.” And if that is the case, it would appear the economy is improving – low petrol prices and low inflation are leaving people with more cash to spend on a savoury treat.