2 days ago
Greggs launch new front in the Pasty Wars: Bakery chain bids for seventh Cornish store in county where locals have dubbed it 'the Devil's Spawn'
Greggs has opened up a new front in the long-running pasty war in Cornwall with the proposal of its seventh store despite local fury.
The northern-based bakery chain had long struggled to establish itself in the home of the pasty with past attempts being abandoned due to the strength of local opposition.
They were initially 'driven out' and dubbed the 'devil's spawn' by locals when they first tried to open in Saltash in 2019.
However, after reigniting the conflict by opening in Cornwall's county town of Truro, the chain now has six stores across popular parts of the region.
And it looks like Greggs is hoping to add a seventh as plans reveal what would be its newest site.
The application submitted by The Motor Fuel Group (MFG) to Cornwall Council for planning permission to build a single-storey retail extension at a Morrisons petrol filling station in Bude.
While the chain is not named in the application, the proposed floor plan provided with it includes details of a Greggs store in the extension.
In a statement supporting the application, the company said: 'MFG is the UK's largest independent forecourt operator with over 900 sites offering a dual-fuel strategy, convenient retail and "food to go".'
This follows the contentious opening of Greggs stores in Truro, Newquay, Launceston, Bodmin, Saltash, and Cornwall Services.
Cornwall has historically been hostile to the bakery chain, best known for their sausage rolls and pasties due to the county's large independent bakery industry.
Local Cornish pasty-making businesses had feared that the chain's low prices will undercut the local pastry economy, driving independent stores out of business.
Opponents also raised concern the national chain does not produce pastries within the county, instead producing them in a factory in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Greggs was driven out of Cornwall in 2019 after opening its first Cornish store in the Tamar, which was quickly boycotted by locals and closed after just seven months.
Despite the hostility, Greggs were undeterred and have continued to try and establish themselves.
One Cornish pasty maker said previously: '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.
'Greggs are massive brand but they're up against some stiff competition.
'Pasty makers here have been making them for a long time and we make the real McCoy, that's what Greggs are up against.'
The move into Truro was seen as an all-out 'declaration of war' with the site a mere stone's throw from Cornish pasty makers Rowe's and Warrens.
One resident described it as 'the Devil's spawn' and another saying that any new stores that try to open in Cornwall 'won't last'.
Another added: 'How dare they place Greggs in Cornwall.
'It'll be a cold day in hell before you ever get me in one of them.'
Despite the level of local opposition, the Cornish Pasty Association said it was up for the fight - and confident it would win the battle.
A spokesperson said: 'Greggs does not make their products in Cornwall and therefore do not sell the highly prized, genuine PGI Cornish pasties that our members make.
'We believe it's important that people have a range of products to choose from and are confident that the Cornish pasty's future will not be jeopardised by the presence of Greggs.'
