BRITISH high street bakery chain Greggs has refuted media claims that it plans to open 50 new stores in Northern Ireland.
The company said it "continues to view Belfast and Northern Ireland as an attractive market".
But while it continues to look for opportunities to develop its empire across the UK, where it employs more than 19,000 staff at 1,650 retail outlets, it refused to verify reports that has major expansion plans for the region.
Indeed media claims that commercial property agents Savills in Belfast have been appointed to source locations across the north have also not been confirmed by the company.
Greggs previously told the Irish News that it would "actively pursue" opportunities to expand into Northern Ireland, where it opened its first shop at the Applegreen Templepatrick M2 motorway service station in April.
However, just last year the Tyneside-based chain, founded in the 1930s, warned that is may have to axe more than 400 jobs as part of an ongoing strategic plan.
At the time chief executive Roger Whiteside admitted the company "faces a number of challenges".
But in April the baker provided a £20 million windfall for its shareholders after its freshly made sandwiches and £2 breakfasts boosted trading.
The firm said its like-for-like sales lifted 5.9 per cent in the first four months of the year.
The retailer returned £20 million to investors through a 20p a share special dividend after carrying out a capital review of its business.
Greggs' first half performance was ahead of previous forecasts, and overall it expects good growth for the full trading year.
