Olympics treat for Greggs

It may not offer the healthiest of snacks, but it seems visitors to the Olympic park cannot get enough of pasties and savouries from Greggs, the UK's biggest high-street baker.

Takings from its branch at the Westfield Stratford complex, left, smashed sales records last week, despite restricted visitor numbers at the shopping mall last weekend, the chief executive Ken McMeikan said.

Shops close to the Olympics venues are seeing business boom by "anything between 30 per cent and 80 per cent", according to Mr McMeikan. Sales across London are up 10 per cent up thanks to the Olympics effect.

Greggs even has a staff member running in the men's marathon this weekend. Anuradha Cooray, representing Sri Lanka, works in the Aylesbury store.

Despite the Olympics boost, the worst weather in 100 years put a dampener on the first half, with Greggs' sales 3.5 per cent lower. Pre-tax profits also slipped 4 per cent to £16.5m in the six months to June 30.