GREGGS has temporarily closed all of its branches while the UK is on a coronavirus lockdown.
The high street bakery is just one of the restaurant chains that has decided to stop serving food altogether in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
1
The government has ordered the closure of all non-essential shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs although they’re still allowed to offer a takeaway service.
Like many other fast food outlets, Greggs continued to sell baked goods online through its Just Eat partnership but decided to close completely from Tuesday March 24 to help “keep everyone safe”.
That means that all 2,050 outlets across the UK are no longer operating.
McDonald’s, Nandos and KFC have also decided to do the same until social distancing rules are lifted.
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS – STAY IN THE KNOW
Don’t miss the latest news and figures – and essential advice for you and your family.
To receive The Sun’s Coronavirus newsletter in your inbox every tea time, sign up here.
To follow us on Facebook, simply ‘Like’ our Coronavirus page.
Get Britain’s best-selling newspaper delivered to your smartphone or tablet each day – find out more.
Greggs added that a drop in sales also lead to the closure of stores having seen a 9.9 per cent decline in the week leading up to the closure, since social distancing rules were introduced.
The chain is making plans for the closures to last between six weeks and three months and estimates that it will cost the firm £45million in cash outgoings by the end of the year.
In a statement online, the retailer thanks its staff and customers for getting through these “difficult and unsettling times”.
They added: “A special thank you to the key workers at the front line of this crisis and all those who continue to work tirelessly to reduce the spread of the virus.
“There are so many unsung heroes, and we’re in awe of you all.”
But there are still plenty of ways fans who can’t live without there favourite foods can still get their hands on Greggs’ goods.
Iceland is still selling Greggs’ frozen range in stores, including a four-pack of sausage rolls, two pack of steak bakes and two pack of chicken bakes, which all cost £1.89 each.
Its sausage, bean and cheese melts and cheese and onion bakes are on offer at just £1 for a two pack.
Other products include a 433g bag of 16 mini sausage rolls for £1.89, a two pack of bacon and cheese wraps for £2, and a two pack of corned beef bakes for £1.89.
You can also get your hands on a two pack of vegetable bakes for £1.89 and the limited edition Nacho Chilli Cheese Bake two pack for £2.
And if you fancy giving it a go yourself, mum Lou Clair Lanham has shared with us her tips on how to make the bakery chain’s sausage and bean melts at home and they only cost 37p.
The retailer has said that it will continue to pay staff for contracted hours “for as long as is practicable” and will roll them onto the government’s coronavirus jobs retention scheme when necessary.
This will see up to 80 per cent of wages for furloughed staff to be paid for by the government via a grant to employers.
Britain’s favourite bakers have also donated any remaining unsold food to local communities and will be offering support for those in hardship through the Greggs Foundation.
As many food outlets temporarily close their doors, there are many retailers that will still be operating.
Here’s our guide to which stores will remain open and a list of all retailers that will be temporarily closing during the coronavirus outbreak.
Households also spent an extra £63 in supermarkets in March, making it the biggest month on record for grocery sales.
pod_component pod_component_config_id=”eohqRsjan” pod_component_config_url=”https://www.thesun.co.uk/nu-sun-pod-component-config-prod/eohqRsjan.json” pod_component_config_loader_url=”https://www.thesun.co.uk/nu-sun-pod-loaders-prod/1.66.5/componentLoader.js?75277″ src=”https%3A%2F%2Fiframe.thesun.co.uk%2Fnu-sun-pod-widgets-prod%2Fiframe-pod.html%3Fid%3DeohqRsjan%26script%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fnu-sun-pod-loaders-prod%2F1.66.5%2FcomponentLoader.js%3F75277%26config%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fnu-sun-pod-component-config-prod%2FeohqRsjan.json”]
