High street bakery brand Greggs has opened its 500th franchise shop amid efforts to cover most parts of the UK.

The Newcastle-based food-on-the-go retailer has launched a Monktonhall outlet in Scotland, in partnership with petrol forecourt operator MFG, with which it has 84 sites. Greggs said the move now means 20% of its estate is now franchise-led and feeds into its strategic growth plans.

In October, the Greggs said 2023 would be a year of record shop openings with between 135 and 145 new sites expected to be added to its portfolio, taking into account relocations and closures. That came as it revealed a 20.8% rise in sales in the 13 weeks to the end of September, and added a partnership with Uber Eats to its delivery offer which already included Just Eat.

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The popular brand now has 2,300 shops nationwide and about 28,000 employees across its business. It said its 16 franchise partners - which include names such as Welcome Break, Sodexo and Moto - are important in giving it access to travel locations such as motorway services areas, petrol stations, educational locations and smaller high street convenience sites.

Malcolm Copland, commercial director at Greggs said: "Just one year since we marked our 400th franchise, we’re now delighted to open our 500th – this is a huge milestone that underscores the success of our franchise model. As we round off 2023, we’re pleased to be well on track to meet our ambitious shop expansion targets for the year ahead. The relationships we’ve built over the years with our valued franchise partners have been critical in enabling us to accelerate our shop expansion plans, reach key travel hub locations across the UK and enhance even greater accessibility for our customers."

In its October trading update, Greggs said it had also progressed investment in its supply chain with a fourth production line due to be commissioned at its Balliol Park savoury rolls and bakes-making site in Newcastle. It also pointed to expanded logistics capacity at its Birmingham and Amesbury distribution centres which are due to open next year.