H1: Greggs Drive Thru: The Ultimate Time-Saving Treat, or Just Too Hard to Find?
Few things beat a hot steak bake on a busy day, and a Greggs drive thru lets you get one without even leaving your car. For drivers, van users and parents with a car full of kids, that is a real convenience win. The catch is that drive-thru sites are far fewer than normal Greggs shops, so finding one takes a little planning.
This guide explains what a Greggs drive-thru is, how it began, where to find one near you, what is on the menu, the opening hours, and the good and bad points. We also cover popular searches such as Greggs drive thru Slough, Swindon, Southampton, and Livingston.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Greggs Drive Thru?
- The History of the Greggs Drive Thru
- Greggs Drive Thru Key Stats
- Why Drive-Thrus Are Growing in the UK
- Greggs Drive Thru Near Me: How to Find One
- Greggs Drive Thru Locations: Slough, Swindon and Southampton
- Other Greggs Drive Thru Locations: Newport, Glasgow and Widnes
- Greggs Drive Thru Menu
- Greggs Drive Thru Opening Hours
- Greggs Drive Thru vs In-Store, Click and Collect and Delivery
- Tips for Using a Greggs Drive Thru
- Pros and Cons of a Greggs Drive Thru
- FAQs
- Conclusion
- References
H2: What Is a Greggs Drive Thru?
A Greggs drive thru is a Greggs shop built with a lane so customers can order and collect food from their car. Instead of parking and walking in, you pull up, order, pay and drive away with your food.
Greggs’ chief executive at the time, Roger Whiteside, said the company wanted to take Greggs to where customers need it, including office parks, industrial estates, retail parks and travel hubs, and that a drive thru “seemed the logical next step” .
H3: What You Can Expect From a Greggs Drive Thru
Expect the same bakery favourites as the high street, plus hot drinks and sweet treats. Some sites also offer click and collect through the Greggs app and delivery through Just Eat, as the Slough shop does .
H2: The History of the Greggs Drive Thru
The first Greggs drive thru opened on 5 June at Irlam Gateway Service Station in Salford, Greater Manchester, as a trial [3]. It created 25 jobs and served Greggs’ savouries, sandwiches and Balanced Choice range [3]. Greggs said it opened the site after customers asked for a drive-thru on Twitter .
H3: How the Greggs Drive Thru Network Grew
After the trial, Whiteside said the Salford site had been hugely popular and that staff were scouting other locations, with the full range of products to be offered in each [5]. Later sites opened in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Bradford, Blackburn and Newcastle, and Greggs has trialled some drive-thru stores opening 24 hours .
| Milestone | What happened | Source |
| First drive thru | Irlam, Salford, opened as a trial on 5 June | [3] |
| 2020 | 7 drive thrus in the UK: 6 in England, 1 in Wales | [7] |
| 2020 | Scotland’s first planned at Great Western Retail Park, Glasgow | [7] |
| 12 October (2021) | Greggs confirmed more drive thrus including Slough | [8] |
| 26 November (2021) | Slough drive thru set to open | [9] |
| 2023 | Widnes, Moore Lane South drive thru announced | [10] |
H2: Greggs Drive Thru Key Stats
| Stat | Figure | Source |
| First Greggs drive thru | Irlam, Salford (5 June) | [3] |
| Jobs created at the first site | 25 | [3] |
| UK Greggs drive thrus in 2020 | 7 (6 England, 1 Wales) | [7] |
| Greggs locations overall | About 2,500 | [6] |
| Total UK drive-throughs, all brands | 2,681 | [11] |
| Drive-throughs added in two years (all brands) | About 300 | [11] |
| Jobs created at Slough | 24 | [2] |
H3: What These Greggs Drive Thru Stats Tell You
Seven drive-thru sites in 2020 against about 2,500 Greggs locations overall shows why a Greggs drive-thru is still hard to find. The number has grown since, but it remains a small part of the Greggs estate.
H2: Why Drive-Thrus Are Growing in the UK
Greggs is not the only brand adding drive-thrus. Market research firm Meaningful Vision counted 2,681 drive-throughs in the UK, with about 300 added in two years [11]. The same article notes that people spend more at drive-thrus, which is one reason companies keep opening them.
H3: Why a Greggs Drive Thru Suits Busy Customers
Whiteside said transactions were bigger at the pilot site because customers often collect a big order for others, and peak sales came in the rush hours [5]. That fits the drive-thru idea: fast, easy pickup for people on the move.
H2: Greggs Drive Thru Near Me: How to Find One
Greggs’ own shop pages show how each shop works. For example, the Newport Port Road page is labelled Drive Thru and lists the shop channels Drive Thru, Click and Collect, Just Eat and Uber Eats.
H3: Steps to Find a Greggs Drive Thru Location
- Open the Greggs shop finder and enter your postcode or town.
- Look for “Drive Thru” in the shop name or in the “Ways to shop here” list.
- Open the shop page and check today’s opening hours.
- Use the address to set your sat nav, as many drive-thrus are on retail parks.
H3: Greggs Drive Thru Location Search Tips
Search both “Greggs drive thru” and the town name. Delivery apps can also help, as Just Eat lists one Swindon Greggs by its drive-thru address .
H2: Greggs Drive Thru Locations: Slough, Swindon and Southampton
| Location | Details | Source |
| Slough | Bath Road, Westgate Retail Park, SL1 5PS. Opened with 24 jobs. | [2], [14] |
| Swindon | Listed as “Lydiard Fields Drive Thru, Great Western Way” on Just Eat. | [13] |
| Southampton | Brownhill Way, SO16 0BU. Built at Adanac Park. | [15], [16] |
H3: Greggs Drive Thru Slough
The Slough drive-thru is on Bath Road near Westgate Retail Park [9]. The lane was designed with a queuing length to keep the risk of cars stacking back onto the road very low, and there is pedestrian access from Bath Road [9]. When it opened, the shop sold favourites including the sausage roll, steak bake and items from the Christmas menu, and its reported hours were Monday to Saturday 6am to 6pm and Sunday 7am to 7pm [2]. A listing site now shows 6am to 9pm for one day, so check before you go .
H3: Greggs Drive Thru Swindon
Just Eat lists a Greggs at Lydiard Fields Drive Thru, Great Western Way, Swindon, rated 5 out of 5 from 129 ratings . Swindon also has other Greggs shops, so make sure you pick the drive-thru address if you want to stay in your car [13].
H3: Greggs Drive Thru Southampton (Southpost)
A construction firm building the Adanac Park site called it the second Greggs drive-thru on the south coast . A travel listing gives the address as Brownhill Way, Southampton, SO16 0BU [.
H2: Other Greggs Drive Thru Locations: Newport, Glasgow and Widnes
H3: Greggs Drive Thru Newport
The Newport shop on Port Road, NP20 2SA, is labelled Drive Thru on Greggs’ site . It is a useful example of the hours you can expect, covered below.
H3: Greggs Drive Thru Glasgow
Scotland’s first Greggs drive-thru was planned at Great Western Retail Park in Glasgow, beside a Burger King, with a 72-space car park . The planned opening hours were 5am until midnight, seven days a week .
H3: Greggs Drive Thru Widnes
Greggs announced a drive-thru at Moore Lane South, Widnes, as part of a plan to open eight new branches .
H2: Greggs Drive Thru Livingston, Chiniot and Faisalabad
H3: Greggs Drive Thru Livingston
I could not confirm a Greggs drive-thru in Livingston. Listings show normal shops, for example 72 Almondvale S at The Centre, with four Greggs locations in the town [17]. Use the Greggs shop finder to check for any new site.
H2: Greggs Drive Thru Menu
Whiteside confirmed that the full range of products would be offered in each drive-thru outlet . At the first site, the menu included steak bakes, sausage rolls, sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and buns, plus the Balanced Choice range of sandwiches, salads and soups, all under 400 calories at launch .
H3: Greggs Drive Thru Menu Favourite: The Steak Bake
A standard Greggs steak bake (136.4g) has 428 kcal, 27g fat, 13g saturated fat and 15g protein, according to the Greggs product page [18]. If you are watching your intake, check our steak bake calories guide before you order.
H3: Greggs Drive Thru Menu Options for Seasonal Items
Seasonal items can appear in the drive-thru too. When Slough opened, the shop listed items from the Christmas menu among its favourites .
H2: Greggs Drive Thru Opening Hours
| Site | Hours | Source |
| Irlam (first site, at launch) | Mon to Fri 6am to 9pm, Sat 7am to 7pm, Sun 8am to 6pm | [3] |
| Slough (at opening) | Mon to Sat 6am to 6pm, Sun 7am to 7pm | [2] |
| Newport | Mon 6am to 7pm, Tue to Fri 5:30am to 7pm, Sat and Sun 6am to 7pm | [12] |
| Glasgow (planned) | 5am to midnight, 7 days | [7] |
H3: Why Greggs Drive Thru Hours Vary
Each site sets its own hours, and they can change over time. Greggs has also trialled 24-hour opening at certain drive-thru stores . Always check the shop page for today’s hours.
H2: Greggs Drive Thru vs In-Store, Click and Collect and Delivery
| Way to shop | Best for | Source |
| Drive thru | Quick pickup from the car, group orders | [5], [12] |
| In-store | Browsing the full counter and seating | [2] |
| Click and collect | Ordering ahead through the Greggs app | [2] |
| Delivery | Getting food at home through Just Eat | [2] |
H3: Which Greggs Drive Thru Option Is Right for You?
If you are driving and short on time, the drive-thru is the quickest. If you want to order ahead, use the app for click and collect where the shop offers it.
H2: Tips for Using a Greggs Drive Thru
H3: Smart Greggs Drive Thru Tips
- Check the shop page for hours before you set off.
- Avoid rush hours if you can, as peak sales come then .
- Know your order in advance to keep the queue moving.
- Use the shop finder to confirm the site really has a drive-thru lane.
- Check calories for items such as the steak bake if you are counting .
H2: Pros and Cons of a Greggs Drive Thru
H3: The Positives of a Greggs Drive Thru
- You can order and collect without leaving your car.
- The full menu is offered, and group orders are easy .
- Click and collect and delivery are often available too .
- Early opening at some sites, such as 5:30am in Newport .
H3: The Negatives of a Greggs Drive Thru
- Only a small number of sites compared with Greggs’ wider estate .
- Hours differ between sites and can change.
- Rush-hour queues are likely, as peak sales come then .
- Not available in many towns, and none found in Pakistan.
H2: FAQs About Greggs Drive Thru
Where was the first Greggs drive-thru?
Irlam Gateway Service Station, Salford.
When did the first Greggs drive-thru open?
It opened on 5 June as a trial .
Is there a Greggs drive-thru in Slough?
Yes, on Bath Road near Westgate Retail Park .
Is there a Greggs drive-thru in Swindon?
Just Eat lists one at Lydiard Fields, Great Western Way.
Is there a Greggs drive-thru in Southampton?
Yes, at Adanac Park, Brownhill Way].
Is there a Greggs drive-thru in Livingston?
I could not confirm one. Check the shop finder .
What is on the Greggs drive thru menu?
The full range, including steak bakes and sausage rolls.
Can I use the Greggs app at a drive thru?
Slough’s shop supports click and collect through the Greggs app [2]. Check your local shop’s “Ways to shop here” list.
Are Greggs drive thrus open 24 hours?
Greggs has trialled 24-hour opening at certain drive-thru stores, but most have set hours [6].
H2: Conclusion: Is the Greggs Drive Thru Worth It?
A Greggs drive thru is a great fit if you want a fast, hot bite without leaving your car. The downsides are limited availability, hours that vary, and likely queues at busy times. Check the shop finder, confirm the hours, and enjoy your steak bake on the go.
H2: References
- NACS. Greggs opens first drive-thru in Britain. https://www.convenience.org/Media/Daily/ND0612174
- Slough Observer. Look inside new Greggs drive thru in Slough. https://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/news/19745161.look-inside-new-greggs-drive-thru-slough/
- Bakery & Snacks. Greggs launches first UK drive-thru in Manchester. https://bakeryinfo.co.uk/retail/greggs-launches-first-uk-drive-thru-in-manchester/623679.article
- NACS. Greggs opens first drive-thru in Britain. https://www.convenience.org/Media/Daily/ND0612174
- The Star. Bakery chain Greggs to open drive-thru stores. https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/bakery-chain-greggs-to-open-drive-thru-stores-53139
- Wikipedia. Greggs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greggs
- ProjectScotland. Scotland set for first drive-thru Greggs. https://projectscot.com/2020/08/scotland-set-for-first-drive-thru-greggs/
- Slough Observer. Greggs confirm drive thru opening in Slough. https://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/news/19643996.greggs-confirm-drive-thru-opening-slough/
- Slough Observer. Greggs drive thru Slough set to open tomorrow. https://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/news/19742256.greggs-drive-thru-slough-set-open-tomorrow/
- The Star. Greggs to open 8 new branches including a drive-thru. https://www.thestar.co.uk/read-this/greggs-to-open-8-new-branches-a-drive-thru-by-september-locations-4241032
- Harry Wallop. Why has Britain embraced drive-thru? https://harrywallop.substack.com/p/why-has-britain-embraced-drive-thru
- Greggs. Newport, U2 Port Rd Drive Thru. https://www.greggs.com/shops/newport/u2-newport-west-food-park/5642
- Just Eat. Greggs in Swindon. https://www.just-eat.co.uk/takeaway/brands/greggs/swindon
- Opening Times. Greggs Westgate Retail Park, Slough. https://www.openingtimesin.uk/greggs-westgate-slough
- Mildren. Drive-Thru Greggs comes to Southampton. https://www.mildrenconstruction.co.uk/drive-thru-greggs-comes-to-southampton/
- Trip.com. Greggs, Brownhill Way, Southampton. https://au.trip.com/restaurant/united%20kingdom/nursling%20and%20rownhams/detail/Greggs-150596753
- Opening Times. Greggs Cafe Mall, Livingston. https://www.openingtimesin.uk/greggs-cafe-mall-livingston
- Greggs. Steak Bake. https://www.greggs.com/menu/product/steak-bake-1000514