Baker fails to pile on pounds at Xmas

The chain, which boasts six locations in North Kirklees, announced a fall in sales on December 2011, and blamed wet weather on the lack of appetite for its pasties.

The Newcastle-based company saw like-for-like sales fall 2.9 per cent on December 2011, and blamed the downturn on many of its high-street outlets hit by floods.

Chief executive Ken McMeikan said: “We expect that the tough trading environment will continue during 2013, with consumers remaining cautious and inflationary cost pressure on a number of key commodities.”

Greggs has outlets in Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton, Batley and Dewsbury, and opened another 121 shops across the UK in 2012.

Despite the poor like-for-like sales on a strong Christmas 2011, the company recorded an overall rise in sales of 4.8 per cent in the 2012 financial year.