The great Scouse pasty war
19 hours ago
- #Business Competition
- #Liverpool History
- #Bakeries
- Sayers, a Liverpool-based bakery chain founded in 1912, has declined while Greggs, a Newcastle equivalent, has grown into a national fast-food giant.
- Greggs' success is attributed to strategic expansions, acquisitions, rebranding, and a shift to a food-on-the-go model under CEO Roger Whiteside, focusing on efficiency and widespread availability.
- Sayers faced challenges including multiple ownership changes, cost-cutting, factory closures, and a lack of modern marketing, losing its community roots and city centre presence.
- Despite loyal Scouse customers praising Sayers' superior sausage rolls and nostalgic value, the brand couldn't compete with Greggs' aggressive growth and innovation.
- The 2008 arson attack on Sayers' Lorenzo Drive factory symbolized its downfall, with the site replaced by an Aldi, erasing a key part of Norris Green's social fabric.