Montgomeryshire could be set for two new fast food chains this year, as bakery giant Greggs eyes up sites in Newtown and Welshpool.

The north of England based chain, which operates more than 1,800 stores in the UK, was mooted to be considering a site on Welshpool’s retail park as well as another unit on Pool Road, Newtown.

The company already operates stores on Welshpool’s Broad Street, High Street in Newtown and at other locations in Llandrindod Wells and Llanwrthwl near Rhayader.

Chief executive Roger Whiteside said that the company plans to open a further 150 shops this year, but the company would not confirm whether any of those would be in Welshpool or Newtown.

“In the year ahead, we will continue to focus on delivering the outstanding value and taste that Greggs is famous for. 2018 will be a record year for investment in our supply chain as we install many of the centralised manufacturing platforms that will provide the capacity for further growth of the business. We intend to increase the number of shops that we open in the year in line with our strategy to continue to grow Greggs as a leading food-on-the-go brand,” he said.

The company serves more than six million customers per week from its 1,800 stores each week, and plans to grow to 2,000 stores in the coming financial year. The chain employs over 20,000 people in the UK.