Greggs is set to open its first international outlet at Tenerife South Airport later this month, allowing British holidaymakers to pick up sausage rolls and steak bakes before boarding flights home.
The bakery chain confirmed the new store will open in the airport’s international departures area, marking its first overseas expansion since briefly operating shops in Belgium almost two decades ago.
Greggs said Tenerife was “the ideal location to test spreading our wings in an overseas setting”, citing the island’s huge volume of British tourists.
Tenerife South airport handles around 13 million passengers annually, with roughly half travelling to or from the UK.
The shop will stock a range of the chain’s best-known products, including savoury bakes, breakfast rolls, sandwiches and sweet treats, alongside some additions tailored to the Spanish location.
Among the new items will be a Spanish omelette breakfast roll and freshly squeezed orange juice prepared daily in-store, which Greggs said would offer “a refreshing taste of island life”.
The company added that the airport branch would provide seating for up to 92 customers and position itself as a low-cost food option for travellers before departure.
The move represents a rare overseas venture for the Newcastle-founded bakery giant, which has focused overwhelmingly on rapid expansion across the UK in recent years.
Greggs previously operated outlets in Belgium in 2008, though those locations were later closed as the company retreated from international expansion.
The Tenerife opening is now being viewed as a cautious test of overseas appetite for the brand, particularly among British tourists already familiar with the chain.
For many holidaymakers, it may also provide an unmistakably British end to a Spanish getaway — complete with a sausage roll before take-off.
Greggs chief executive, Roisin Currie, said: “Tenerife South Airport is a hub for millions of UK and international passengers each year, making it the ideal location to test spreading our wings in an overseas setting.
“It’s an exciting milestone for Greggs as we bring a slice of home to the Canaries, and we’re confident our great-value offering will resonate just as well under the Spanish sun as it does on the UK high street.”
The new shop will open in partnership with Lagardere Travel Retail, which operates more than 5,000 stores in airports, railway stations and other locations in over 50 countries worldwide.
Javier Cagigal, chief executive of Lagardere Travel Retail Spain and Portugal, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Greggs to bring such a well-loved brand into Tenerife South Airport for the very first time.
“As passengers head home, this new opening gives them a familiar, comforting choice in departures – whether that’s a last treat, a relaxed sit-down moment or something to ease the journey home.”
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