Greggs will close four UK manufacturing sites, putting 740 jobs at risk, the bakery chain announced following a comprehensive review of its operations.

The proposed closures affect factories in Enfield (London), North Lakes (Cumbria), Pettigrews (Kelso, Scotland) and Seaham (County Durham). The plan also touches operations at four further sites — Treforest, Clydesmill, Manchester and Gosforth — although the company confirmed its retail outlets will not be affected.

For HR leaders, the announcement triggers one immediate obligation: a collective consultation process. Greggs said it will consult with affected colleagues and their union representatives, and stressed that "no final decisions have been made", with all consultation feedback to be "carefully considered".

What changes beyond the closures?

The proposals go further than shutting sites. Greggs plans to:

• Relocate and consolidate some manufacturing activity into fewer sites
• Source a small number of products from specialist suppliers instead of producing them in-house
• Streamline a manufacturing and logistics network it describes as a key strength of the business

The company frames the restructuring as preparation for its "next phase of growth" rather than a distress measure.

What are the numbers behind the decision?

The financial context matters for anyone assessing the move. Since 2024, Greggs has invested more than £300 million in its manufacturing and logistics network. The company employs around 33,000 staff overall.

Against that spending backdrop, the restructuring is comparatively modest in savings terms: Greggs expects the proposals to save about £20 million across the 2028 and 2029 financial years. That figure suggests the closures are as much about network design and efficiency as cost-cutting scale.

The 740 at-risk roles sit within a workforce of roughly 33,000 — around 2% of total headcount — concentrated entirely in manufacturing rather than retail.

What did leadership say?

Chief executive Roisin Currie positioned the closures within a long-term growth strategy. "Greggs is a strong and growing business, and we continue to invest significantly in our future," Currie said. "To continue building a successful business for the future, we must keep evolving alongside changing customer expectations. We want to ensure Greggs remains a strong, sustainable business for decades to come."

She added: "Greggs manufacturing and logistics network remains a key strength of the business, and these proposals are intended to strengthen our manufacturing network, improve efficiency and ensure we remain well placed for the future while continuing to deliver the quality, value and service our customers expect."

What does this mean for consultation practice?

The case follows a familiar UK pattern for large manufacturers: site consolidation announced as a proposal, not a final decision, with union-represented consultation as the legally required next step. For HR teams watching comparable restructurings, the open questions are about process execution:

• How the company defines the consultation scope across eight affected sites, four closing and four restructured
• Whether redeployment options exist within the remaining network for some of the 740 at-risk employees
• How the timeline to the 2028-2029 savings target maps onto consultation, notice and transition periods

Greggs has not disclosed redundancy cost estimates or a target date for final decisions. The consultation outcome will determine how many of the 740 roles are ultimately lost.