Scientists have come to the conclusion about where the north south divide is - and it’s inextricably linked to whether people are more inclined to have a steak bake or an expensive cheese and ham baguette. The researchers decided to look into the proliferation of humble lunch outlet Greggs or posher Pret a Manger - and see if the dividing line can be divined from the location of the stores.
According to the team at Sheffield Hallam University there is a definite link between whether high streets have a Greggs or a Pret and if they're northern or southern. The researchers investigated all 2,500 food stores to work out their relative densities in relation to the national geography.
Their findings appear to have come up with a new way of determining the North / South divide. Perhaps in an unsurprising result the study showed that nearly all areas in the North have more outlets of Greggs, which is based in Newcastle, the MEN reported.
In contrast, areas in the south-east tend to have more Pret A Manger branches.
The research shows that the great divide is a diagonal line that starts just north of Norwich and goes down to the southern coast of England to the east of Bournemouth. The line passes the M1 motorway close to the Watford Gap services, often touted as the place where the North-South divide occurs.
Cornwall is the outlier in the study. While it is the southern-most county in England on the map, it is actually placed in the North in the Greggs vs Pret study. Researchers decided to run a follow-up study into branches of Morrisons and Waitrose, which did move Cornwall and the South West into the South, with the dividing line going above Bristol.
The report authors said: “This light-hearted study is designed to highlight real and important cultural and socio-economic differences between the North and the South of England, and demonstrate that these are in some ways reflected by consumer habits.
“We attempted to align our Greggs-Pret lines with gross domestic household income with some success. However, this is more likely a reflection of the London-centricity of both England’s wealth and its Pret-a-Manger shops. Additionally, this Greggs-Pret comparison determined that Cornwall – even including the most southern point in England – is actually northern.
“For these reasons, the Greggs-Pret index appears to have significant limitations. As a result, we broadened the analyses to include the distribution of Morrisons and Waitrose stores and extracted alternative dividing lines.”
Greggs was founded in Newcastle in 1939 and opened its first shop on Gosforth High Street in 1951. The chain has been growing significantly in recent decades and now has more than 2,300 shops around the UK. Though its low prices meant that it tended historically to avoid high-cost areas such as central London, it has taken advantage of lower rents since the pandemic to expand its offering in the capital.
The Sheffield authors also say that Greggs’ increasing popularity in the South since the launch of the vegan sausage roll in 2019 means the brand is no longer quite the bastion of northern-ness it once was. A year earlier the bakery had pranked customers at a London food festival by posing as ‘Gregory and Gregory’ and selling its savoury treats as ‘artisan’ products. And the chain has revealed its sales surged by nearly a fifth over the year to date as its cheap meals remain “compelling” to cash-strapped consumers.
Sales grew by 17% over the start of the year compared with 2022, partly because the first few months of the previous year were impacted by the Omicron variant, Greggs said earlier this month. It had more than 2,360 shops by mid-May, and previously hinted it wants to reach more than 3,000 across the UK over time.
Meanwhile earlier this year Pret a Manger caused disquiet when it increased the price of its coffee subscription from £25 to £30 a month and relaunched as Club Pret with access to 10% off food. It marked the second price hike for the popular service, where subscribers can get five coffees or other hot and iced drinks per day. The chain has 439 shops.
