Q&A: Roger Whiteside, CEO, Greggs
In lunch!’s NEW Industry Leaders Q&A series, we’ll be speaking to some of the biggest names across the cafe, coffee shop & food-to-go sector. We’ll be finding out how they are adapting to the current climate, their thoughts on the challenges and opportunities ahead and what they are doing to support their teams and local communities.
First up is Greggs CEO, Roger Whiteside:
About Roger…
Roger has worked in retail and leisure for over 40 years. He began his career at Marks & Spencer where he spent 20 years and has since worked for Ocado, Thresher Group and Punch Taverns. Joining the board of Greggs as NED in 2008, Roger was appointed CEO in 2013. Eight years on he has led a historic shift in strategy that has delivered record sales and profits. In 2019, Roger was awarded an OBE in recognition of his services to women and equality.
How is your business adapting to the challenges of these uncertain times?
Our first priority has been to invest in making our operations Covid-secure, giving our colleagues and customers confidence to continue providing an essential food-on-the-go service to customers unable to work from home.
For those customers who have been able to stay at home, we have partnered with Just Eat to rapidly roll out delivery nationwide together with our in house Click and Collect service for those wanting to collect themselves. Our longstanding partnership with Iceland has also been popular allowing customers to bake their own Greggs at home. In this latest lockdown increased restrictions in Scotland have forced us to develop additional Covid-secure procedures to offer a service at the front door.
The willingness of our teams to adapt so quickly in such challenging circumstances is what I am particularly grateful for and proud of.
Please tell us more about how you are supporting your teams and/or local communities?
Throughout this pandemic, we have tried to be as fair as we can with our people, making full use of the government furlough scheme to protect jobs for as long as possible, and topping up to full pay during the months that our shops were closed. We understand how difficult working under these conditions has been and have sought to reassure our teams in all manner of ways, not least of which has been regular contact and communication, especially for those on furlough or unable to work due to Covid. Our supply chain colleagues work together in one building in larger numbers than anywhere else, and we have used a full testing regime to provide as safe an environment for them as we can.
Greggs Foundation has a long history of helping local communities in times of hardship. This pandemic has stretched many people to their financial limits increasing demand for Greggs Foundation support including hardship grants and help with food shopping vouchers. Involvement from people across all of our business helps our teams feel part of their community effort at this difficult time.
How do you think the industry will change? Are there potential opportunities?
Obviously this crisis has been catastrophic for our industry, especially for those unable to bridge the funding gap until we can all trade normally again. That said it has accelerated existing trends in customer behaviour and will create new opportunities for those that adapt to meet these needs best, as we get back to unrestricted living. We have no shortage of creative talent in the sector and I am looking forward to seeing the new concepts that this will generate when free movement returns.
What do you think are the main challenges ahead?
Looking beyond Covid, our challenge is to make sure we prepare to come back stronger so that we are ready to grow again as restrictions are lifted. One thing this crisis has taught us is that we can’t take our world for granted so a big challenge is to find ways of operating that are better than before to have a positive impact on our people and our planet.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Working with a really great team of people succeeding in doing something worthwhile, that we can all be proud of.
And the most challenging?
Coping with those times when it becomes clear that if we are going to reach our goals, not everyone in the team can stay on the journey.
Who or what inspires you to be even better?
I’m lucky and have always been the type to constantly push for improvement – I don’t know any other way.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that most people don’t know.
My Grandson Jack thinks the only book I can read is ‘Stickman’.
What’s your best tip for staying sane in lockdown?
I appreciate living in lockdown has been very difficult for lots of people. What works for me is to try and focus on what I still have and not on what I have temporarily lost – aim to make the best of each day.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Make sure you surround yourself with people who are better at what they do than you are, agree on objectives and then let them get on with it.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?
Don’t worry about where you will end up – just get going – opportunities will open up for you.
Why is innovation so vital to the food-to-go sector?
Food is one of life’s great pleasures and there will always be someone trying to tempt your customers away. Innovation in food will become more important than ever as we race to find more sustainable ways of feeding our growing world population.
How important is lunch! to the food-to-go sector? Why would you recommend a visit?
It’s the one place our entire sector comes together – you need to be there to see what they are up to.
lunch! returns to ExCeL London on 27-28 September 2023. Register your interest in visiting the show here.
Interested in exhibiting at lunch! 2021? Email [email protected].
