Greggs eyeing up sites in Kettering and Corby for major new national distribution centre

Greggs are looking at sites in Corby and Kettering for their new national distribution centre. Image: Brian Eyre.

Greggs is scoping out sites in Kettering and Corby for its new national distribution centre.

Although plans are in their embryonic stages, the sausage roll giant confirmed to this newspaper that it is progressing its search for a site in the area.

A company source said that the operation will be part of the expansion of the manufacturing and logistics capacity as the firm says it has the potential for 3,000 more shops in the longer term. Greggs hopes to double its earnings by 2026.

It’s thought, if it goes ahead, the facility could be on-line by 2027. No specific site in North Northants has yet been revealed by the firm but it’s thought Greggs has been attracted to the area by the sophisticated existing logistics operations of other local companies and the central location. The company also already has a logistics warehouse in Kettering.

Greggs’ latest annual results huge growth, with pre-tax profits for 2023 up to £188m with an annual sales boost of 13 per cent.

Workers were all given a cut of a £17.6m profit bonanza last week to thank them for their hard work.

Their annual report says that the next distribution centre will open in Derby in 2026, followed rapidly by a second hub in North Northamptonshire.

It says: “The second site will be located in the Kettering/Corby area, and will be a new national distribution centre for the storage, picking and distribution of ambient and chilled goods.

"The site will enable our existing radial distribution centres to service many more shops, allowing them to support growth in their regions. We expect this site to be operational in the first half of 2027.”

Corby in particular has made a name for itself as the food manufacturing and distribution centre of the country, with a range of big brands basing their operations in the town and Europe’s biggest deep freeze opening its doors in 2022.

Conversely, other local campaign groups are concerned about the proliferation of warehousing on rural sites and the low-paid economy they help flourish.