Greggs has joined McDonald's and Subway in announcing that today would be the last day its stores would be open thanks to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
The bakery said it had been doing all it could to stay open as long as possible, but that it was now in everyone's beast interest to shut.
"It has become clear that to help us all maintain social distance we need to go further and close all of our shops completely," chief executive Roger Whiteside said.
The bakery joins Subway, McDonald's and Nando's in shutting down all operations as a result of the pandemic.
Subway said its branches will shut by 5pm, Monday, while McDonald's will close at 7pm.
Greggs said that it would give all unsold food to people most in need.
"Whilst our shops will be temporarily closed, our dedication to our communities won’t stop," Whiteside said.
"We’ll continue to provide support to our local communities by distributing any remaining unsold food and offering support for those in hardship through the Greggs Foundation."
Announcing stores would be shutting, Greggs said it would keep paying staff in full.
"While we are closed, we will continue supporting our colleagues with full contract hours for as long as we are able although we will need to keep this under review as the situation develops," Whiteside said.
It also thanked customers for their support and the emergency service staff for their efforts fighting the virus.
"To our customers, thank you for your ongoing support – we know these are difficult and unsettling times, and through our community work we hope to be able to continue serving you, and your friends and families in some way," Whiteside said.
"Last but by no means least, a special thank you to the key workers at the front line of this crisis and all those who continue to work tirelessly to reduce the spread of the virus.
"There are so many unsung heroes, and we’re in awe of you all."
