GREGGS has raised the price of its sausage roll as its boss blames fat jabs for making the public eat less.
The bakery chain quietly bumped the cost of its iconic pastry from £1.30 to £1.35 in most shops.
It is the second time in six months prices have gone up price after the cost increased to £1.25 from £1.20 last year.
Since 2022 the cost has shot up a staggering 30 per cent, when it was priced just £1.
The price of a regular latte has also jumped by 10p to £2.25.
Greggs admits it’s battling a “very tough, challenging market” with rising wage, energy and packaging costs biting into profits.
Chief executive Roisin Currie claimed there is “no doubt” that fat jabs are impacting the number of pastries customers are buying.
“That’s why we’re making sure we offer a broader range with more protein and fibre options,” she said.
She added that disposable income had been squeezed.
Currie claimed consumers were choosing to save rather than spend if they did have spare cash, so Greggs were merely “taking a cautious outlook”.
Unsurprisingly, Greggs customers haven’t been impressed.
Across social media, Greggs lovers blasted the claim — saying it’s soaring prices and bad service that’s really keeping them away from the hot counter.
One Reddit user said: “£5.70 for four sausage rolls where I am — don’t blame the jabs, blame the price!”
Another fumed: “If the prices and quality weren’t going down the way they are, we might still be buying more — don’t blame people trying to get healthy!”
Inside Greggs, staff have reportedly been telling customers that price stickers have had to be changed across most savoury items.
Many seeing 5p increases and some products going up by 10p or more.
Despite the backlash, the company insists these are “targeted” rises and it doesn’t currently plan to hike prices again this year.
Greggs says it will keep an eye on how inflation evolves and hopes easing cost pressures later in the year might take some of the heat off households who are “feeling under pressure”.
Shares in Greggs slid by more than 8 per cent on Thursday morning.
That came as the company said sales at its established company-managed stores rose just 2.9 per cent in the three months to December 27 with growth led by price rises.
The tricky end to the year meant that total annual sales rose 6.8 per cent to £2.15bn as Greggs opened 207 outlets and closed or moved 86.
The company said it expected to meet profit expectations of about a £17m annual decline to £173m for the year to December 27.
It also warned profits for the year ahead were not expected to increase as it plans to open 120 new stores
