Greggs has refused to rule out that its prices will rise in the wake of inflation and due to rising cost pressures.
The cost of sausage rolls, steak bakes, and Yum Yums could soon be hiked after the much-loved bakery chain – which has hundreds of branches across the city centre, and throughout the Greater Manchester region – explained that its profit growth will be squeezed this year and used the publication of its annual results for 2021 to limit the expectations of both customers and investors.
2021 was a record profit year for Greggs after the previous year was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But CEO Roger Whiteside has now said that while like-for-like sales growth during the first nine weeks of 2022 were 3.7% ahead of 2020 levels, he warned that the outlook for many commodity costs still “remains uncertain”.
“We have started 2022 well, helped by the easing of restrictions,” Mr Whiteside said.
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“But cost pressures are currently more significant than our initial expectations and, as ever, we will work to mitigate the impact of this on customers, however given this dynamic, we do not currently expect material profit progression in the year ahead.”
Greggs has refused to rule out that its prices will rise further in 2022 / Credit: Greggs
Greggs says it’s expecting an overall cost inflation of 6% to 7% this year, which is mainly from raw materials, energy, and staff wages.
Because of this expectation, this has prompted the company to put up some prices at the start of this year – with a spokesperson confirming Greggs had raised its prices by a “few pennies”, adding 5p to the price of some products – and further changes are “expected to be necessary”.
Mr Whitehouse not only pointed to the fact that commodity pricing was already rising at the back end of 2021 as the world started to move out of pandemic, but now, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated the situation even further, as both countries are huge producers of commodities such as wheat, corn, and sunflower oil.
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The nationwide bakery chain says it’s expecting an overall cost inflation of 6% to 7% this year / Credit: Greggs
It’s understood, however, that if Greggs does raises prices further this year, the company would still be looking to remain competitive.
Although Greggs is at this moment unable to confirm if prices will rise further in the future, and whether customers will have to fork out more for their bacon butty in the morning, Mr Whiteside has said there were no current plans for fresh increases, adding: “We’re going to have to keep it under review in the balance of the year.”
“[We’ll] see how the market develops,” he concluded.
Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
Boyzone are telling us about coming back together for one final run in their most unforgettable concerts yet 🎤
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right now.
With just a week to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Emily Sergeant -
8th March 2022 
