The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. Start your Independent Premium subscription today.The company has already said it will stockpile key ingredients and equipment ahead of Brexit in case of disruption.Are you sure you want to submit this vote?Bakery chain hails 'best sales growth yet' following popularity of meat-free snack amid Brexit fears No hype, just the advice and analysis you need Start your Independent Premium subscription today.That was up from £25.7m pounds in the same period last year.Chief executive Roger Whiteside said: "Given the strength of our year to date and the outlook, we have decided to increase investment in strategic initiatives in the second half of the year to help to deliver an even stronger customer proposition and further growth in the years ahead. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates.The bakery chain posted a 58 per cent rise in first-half profit, as well as underlying pretax profit of £40.6m pounds in the six months to 29 June.Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate?Want to discuss real-world problems, be involved in the most engaging discussions and hear from the journalists?
Sharing the full story, not just the headlinesTotal sales across its outlets rose 14.7 per cent to £546m, while like-for-like sales at company-managed shops were up 10.5 per cent.Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium.
Our expectations for underlying profits for the year as a whole remain unchanged. "The investments will focus on improved service in shops and online, as well as better availability of hot food options.The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment.Analysts at Peel Hunt said the current outstanding trading could be the point of "peak Greggs", with the outlook less upbeat.It is also facing higher input costs, in part due to African Swine Fever in China, which has pushed pork prices higher.Despite the stellar performance, there was no upgrade to full-year expectations, which some investors had been anticipating, as the company said it would reinvest in strategic areas.Are you sure you want to delete this comment?Enter your email to follow new comments on this article.Create a commenting name to join the debateWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Greggs’ vegan sausage roll drives bumper 58% rise in profits Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate.