Bakery chain Greggs this week reported a 5.6% increase in its like-for-like sales over the Christmas period, the four weeks to 5 January.

In a trading update it also revealed that like-for-like sales increased 5.8% in the 28 weeks to 29 December, giving overall growth in like-for-like sales for the year of 5.3%.

Group managing director Sir Michael Darrington commented: "Despite the continuation of cost pressures on a number of our key ingredients, we look forward to reporting on a year of satisfactory progress when we make the preliminary announcement of our 2007 results."

Greggs, Britain’s biggest bakery retailer with 1,368 outlets, is due to report its 2007 results on 11 March.