THERE’S a big appetite for popular bakery chain Greggs to open a branch in Oxford city centre.

Now the clamour for vegan - and meat - sausage rolls is about to be satisfied, with a new shop in Cornmarket Street.

The company is advertising for staff to work at the new outlet in the near future.

While the shop will be in Cornmarket the precise location has not yet been revealed and the opening date is expected to be announced later this year.

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The chain ruled out a new city centre store in February but is now preparing to open one and it is expected to welcome customers before the end of the year.

Oxford Mail:

A spokesman for Greggs said: “We will be opening a new shop on Cornmarket and will have more information about exactly when in the near future.”

A job advert for the shop in OX1 says: “We are looking for enthusiastic individuals to become part of the team at our brand new store in Oxford city centre.

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“Our typical contracts are 16 hours per week, 4 x 4 hour shifts but we are open to applications no matter what your flexibility/availability.

Oxford Mail:

“From 4-25 hours per week on permanent contract, whether you are an early bird or late owl, there are many shifts available between the opening hours of 4am and 10pm, this can all be discussed at interview stage.”

The chain already runs outlets in London Road, Headington and in Templars Square, Cowley.

Greggs started out in Gosforth, Newcastle, 75 years ago and has been growing ever since.

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There are now more than 1,700 shops nationwide including two in Abingdon - one in the Bury Street precinct and one at the Spar, part of the Esso garage in Marcham Road.

Greggs employs 20,000 staff nationwide and says it is still growing.

Earlier this year the firm expected pre-tax profits for the full 2018 financial year to be at least £88m, as sales over the 52 weeks to December 29 rose 7.2 per cent, driven by growth in newer categories such as breakfast and vegan-friendly food as well as classic bakes.

According to the Oxford Student, an Oxford University student newspaper, some undergraduates are excited by the prospect of Greggs opening in the city centre.

The paper’s website reported one student saying: “I’m incredibly excited and glad to see wonderful improvements to the city.”

Oxford Mail:

The arrival of Greggs will give a boost to Cornmarket, which suffered a blow when high street giants including Next and River Island left when the Westgate Centre opened in October, 2017.

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Earlier this year French beauty brand L’Occitane left the street for the Westgate.

This has left an empty unit which Greggs could occupy, or it could occupy a larger unit nearer Carfax, which became vacant when gentlemen’s outfitters Moss Bros also moved to Westgate.