Greggs reignites bun fight with Cornwall over plans for fifth store

It takes a brave bakery chain to stand up to the Cornish on the topic of pastry.

But Greggs has nevertheless reignited its long-running bun fight with the county, by unveiling plans to build its fifth store there.

While beloved in other parts of the country, the sausage roll proprietor has traditionally received a rather cold welcome in Cornwall.

The region is rich with talented independent bakers, producing such local favourites as beef pasties and scones with the jam very specifically put on before the cream.

There are fears that Greggs would undercut those businesses with their cheap baked treats – which are made at a factory hundreds of miles away in Newcastle.

The animosity is so intense that Greggs’ first crack at the Cornish market, a store in the Tamar which opened in 2019, was boycotted by locals and closed after just seven months.

However, later attempts have been more successful and there are currently four outlets across the county in Truro, Launceston, Cornwall Services and Saltash.

Now, plans have been submitted to Cornwall Council for another shop in Bodmin, leading to accusations of a ‘full-scale invasion’.

One local pasty maker said: ‘You would have thought they would have learned their lesson.

‘Cornwall is a funny place, people stick to what they know and the real thing.

‘Factory-made stuff doesn’t cut it, it’s not the same as a real Cornish pasty. That’s what they’re fighting against, people here are used to the real thing.’

The latest move seems to be moving in a positive direction for Greggs though, with Bodmin Town Council giving the plans their backing.

It is indicative of the spectrum of feelings towards the company within the county – which may be more complex than some might want to believe.

There was controversy when Greggs unveiled its new store in the county town of Truro, with local newspaper the Falmouth Packet describing the opening date as ‘the day that every true Cornish native dreaded’.

However, that outlet has reportedly been thriving since welcoming its first customers in December last year.

The same month the Truro store was announced, two much-loved Cornish bakeries announced they would be closing permanently due to rising costs.

Ian Trethevick, the owner of Denzil Trethevick’s in Redruth which closed its doors along with Aunt Avice’s near Wadebridge, told CornwallLive: ‘Steak has tripled in price’.

Greggs has been contacted for comment.

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