GREGGS PUBLISHES SECOND ANNUAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT

One year on since the launch of its sustainability plan, Greggs outlines the progress made against its ten commitments in The Greggs Pledge

8th April 2022: Greggs is today pleased to report on the progress it has made in delivering its sustainability strategy and targets announced in last year's report, as well as outlining what the business plans to achieve in 2022 through the Greggs Pledge.   

In February 2021, Greggs launched its first sustainability plan - The Greggs Pledge - setting itself ten commitments to help make the world a better place by 2025, with the aim of developing these over the years to come. These commitments, aligned with the ambitions of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, are based on three key areas where Greggs is best placed to make the most difference:

·    Building stronger, healthier communities

·    Making our planet safer

·    Being a better business

One year on from the launch of the Greggs Pledge, the business has made significant progress on its ten commitments and has reached some key milestones, as set out in its 2021 report, including:

·    686 Breakfast Clubs, feeding over 44,500 children every school day

·    Reduced the ratio of manufacturing food waste to sales by 31% and redistributed 28% of unsold food from shops

·    Donated over 1,000 tonnes of food to charity partners

·    32% of the products on the shelves in Greggs stores were 'healthier choices'

Roger Whiteside, Greggs Chief Executive commented: "Last year, we launched The Greggs Pledge and with it, ten ambitious commitments to help us make the world a better place by 2025. As we publish our 2021 report today, I'm proud of all that we achieved in 2021: we opened new Breakfast Clubs and Outlet shops; we exceeded our target on providing healthier choices to our customers and we've made reductions to both food waste and our use of packaging across the business.

"As a business we have a strong sense of responsibility to do the right thing for our people, customers, suppliers and communities and to lead positive change. The Greggs Pledge sets out our ambition to deliver this and our work towards achieving this commitment in the past year has helped us to grow into a stronger and better business.

"Although there is still work to be done, with our clear plan for the next year I believe we are well-placed to meet our ambitious targets for 2025 and beyond, as our business continues to grow and evolve and we work together to make the world a better place."

To ensure it is on track to meet all of its ten commitments by 2025, Greggs has assessed the progress made during 2021 and has set out clear targets to achieve by the end of 2022:

1.    Open 1,000 school Breakfast Clubs, providing 70,000 meals each school day

·    Progress in 2021: Greggs Foundation supported 686 Breakfast Clubs, feeding more than 44,500 children every school day

·    2022 target: Greggs Foundation will support 760 Breakfast Clubs

2.    Create 25% less food waste than in 2018 and continue to work towards 100% of surplus food going to those most in need

·    Progress in 2021: Greggs redistributed 28% of all unsold food in shops and reduced the ratio of manufacturing waste to sales by 31%. Greggs donated over 1,000 tonnes of food working with over 1,200 charity partners

·    2022 target: Greggs will have reduced the amount of food waste created in manufacturing operations by an additional 10% and increased food redistribution by a further 10%

3.    Have 50 Outlet shops providing affordable food in areas of social deprivation

·    Progress in 2021: Greggs increased its outlet shops from 13 to 20. We are proud of our achievement but have reset our ambitious target which we were not able to reach in 2021

·    2022 target: Greggs will have 30 outlet shops open

4.    30% of the items on Greggs' shelves will be heathier choices

·    Progress in 2021: Greggs hit its target - 32% of the items on our shelves are healthier choices

·    2022 target: at least 30% of all new products created will be healthier choices

5.    Progress towards Net Zero target by using 100% renewable energy across all operations

·    Progress in 2021: Greggs assessed the carbon footprint of its whole value chain

·    2022 target: Greggs will complete a supplier engagement plan and publish Science Based Targets

6.    25% of shops will feature elements from Greggs' Eco-Shop 'shop of the future' design

·    Progress in 2021: Greggs created the Eco-Shop template, which will be a testbed for eco-initiatives

·    2022 target: Greggs will have opened its first Eco-Shop and a further 250 shops will have Eco-Shop elements

7.    Use 25% less packaging, by weight, than in 2019 and any remaining packaging will be made from material that is widely recycled

·    Progress in 2021: Greggs joined the On Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) scheme to make recycling communications for customers easier to understand

·    2022 target: Greggs will have added an On Pack Recycling Label to all of its own brand packaging and will have built its roadmap to move all brand packaging to meet OPRL's 'recyclable' criteria

8.    Our workforce will reflect the communities we serve

·    Progress in 2021: 500 managers at Greggs attended an Inclusive Leadership Workshop

·    2022 target: Greggs will have achieved the National Equality Standard assessment

9.    Launch a Responsible Sourcing Strategy and report annually on progress towards its targets

·    Progress in 2021: Greggs completed our review of soy across all our ingredients, joined the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soya and signed up to the UK Soy Manifesto

·    2022 target: Greggs will publish a Deforestation Policy, including plans to be deforestation free by 2025

10.  Secure and maintain Tier 1 in the BBFAW Animal Welfare standard

·    Progress in 2021: Greggs created a roadmap to achieve a Tier 1 rating in the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare

·    2022 target: Greggs will ensure chicken stocking densities are a maximum of 38kg/m2

The full Greggs Pledge is available on the Greggs corporate website: click here 

Notes to Editors:

Greggs is a leading UK food-on-the-go retailer with more than 2,200 shops nationwide and approximately 25,000 employees across the business.

The company was founded in 1939 by John Gregg, then delivering fresh eggs and yeast, by pushbike, to the families of Newcastle. Greggs has since grown to become a nations-favourite and much-loved British brand.

Greggs has always been committed to doing the right thing by its people, partners and the communities it serves. In the sixties Greggs launched its first free 'pie n peas supper' for older residents in Gateshead, an initiative that still runs today and continues to support the elderly within the communities Greggs operates in. The Greggs Breakfast Club, launched in 1999, provides schoolchildren with free wholesome breakfasts each school day and today supports almost 44,500 children through its 690 Breakfast Clubs, across the UK. These, and many more initiatives, are supported through the Greggs Foundation, our dedicated grant-making charity that aims to build stronger, healthier communities in the areas we operate.

As a food-on-the-go retailer, Greggs continues to specialise in daily fresh shop-made sandwiches, and savouries baked fresh in the shop ovens throughout the day. These are further complemented by popular products and ranges including freshly ground coffee, breakfast, confectionery and evening menu items. Greggs also offers a healthier options range which includes a selection of gluten-free, vegan-friendly and lower calorie products. 

Greggs has an exclusive delivery partnership with Just Eat enabling customers to enjoy their Greggs favourites via order and delivery. Greggs' Click + Collect offering provides customers with the ability to select their shop and collection time slot of choice and allows them to order a range of Greggs products in advance, ready for collection when they arrive our shops.

Greggs successfully launched its new website and Greggs App, including its enhanced loyalty proposition. Customers can now earn stamps and rewards across all menu categories, on both walk-in and Click + Collect purchases. Deployment of its new Customer Relationship Management capabilities will allow teams to talk to customers like never before and continue Greggs journey to give additional and personalised services and offers across multiple channels.