THE British breakfast staples of bacon and eggs have helped a North-East baker increase sales, with buoyant bosses not ruling out expansion into new countries.

Greggs says its popularity with early morning commuters, keen to tuck into its rolls, baguettes and coffee, helped lift total sales to £398m for the half year to July 4.

The firm said its successes, allied to a focus on healthier sandwiches and a restructuring of in-store bakeries, mean pre-tax profits stood higher at £25.6m.

Roger Whiteside, chief executive, told The Northern Echo he was delighted, adding there was potential to set up permanent bases in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Reacting to the strong demand for its breakfast lines, which include omelette rolls and bacon and sausage sandwiches, he said: “Some people treat themselves to a bacon bap and a coffee once a week, but are still eating out and we want them to come to us.

“It’s horses for courses, we have the porridge, fruit pots, pastries, such as croissants, and we now have an option on baguettes, but there’s more to come too.”

Mr Whiteside, the former boss of Marks and Spencer’s food halls, said its continued market place triumphs means it can start to look elsewhere again, after a ten-store Belgian experiment ended in a hasty retreat in 2008.

Earlier this year, Greggs opened a trial site on the M2, in Belfast, alongside motorway service company Applegreen, and, asked if it could pave the way for more growth, Mr Whiteside did not rule out expansion.

He said Northern Ireland was more likely than the Republic at this stage, due to the company’s repute in the country and the latter’s use of the Euro, but confirmed it was a real option.

He told The Northern Echo: “It is something we ought to consider but we won’t rush into it.

“Northern Ireland is going really well; the brand is recognised and it is low risk us being there.

“We are going to bide our time, we are going to do it properly and have a good partner in Applegreen, which knows the market well.”

Mr Whiteside, who took over from Ken McMeikan, also reiterated plans to open 2,000 shops, which would lift the Newcastle-based pie and pasty maker’s store number from its existing 1,664.

However, he said it would be selective over target areas, highlighting how the firm has supplemented its dominance of the high street with an increased presence on retail parks and motorway services.

Mr Whiteside added: “We do not want to open up in the wrong places.

“We are opening where people are away from home, where they would not expect a bakery shop, but somewhere offering food-on-the-go.”

Mr Whiteside also reacted with delight at claims from Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who stars in the new boxing film, Southpaw, that he buys the baker’s baguettes when in London.

He added: “Greggs is very popular right across the board and there is a long list of celebrities caught coming out of our stores.”

Greggs’ restructuring of its in-store bakeries, which began last year, included plans to cut 300 jobs as well as 110 management positions, including roles at its Newcastle head office.

At the time, bosses said they expected less than 50 North-East office workers would be affected.

The changes covered the South and West Midlands in stores remaining as a legacy from Greggs’ acquisition of the Bakers Oven chain.