Cambridge gains Greggs...

On 26 February, Cambridge saw the opening of a Greggs on Fitzroy Street. There had previously been a Greggs on Fitzroy Street, which shut in May 2025. The launch of the popular bakery chain has created 12 new jobs for the city, and is part of Greggs’ recently announced broader expansion plans. The chain announced that they plan to open 120 more shops this year to meet their overall goal of running 3000 shops in the UK. Greggs’ opening follows the launch of Cambridge’s first Blank Street. The American coffee chain opened their new Sidney Street location a week prior.

...But loses BrewDog

A total of 38 BrewDog bar locations across the country are set to close following American company Tilray purchasing the chain for over £33 million. Cambridge’s Bene’t Street location, which was opened in 2019, is among the locations marked for closure. The new administrators plan to keep 11 pubs open in the UK, which will preserve 733 jobs, but 484 jobs have been lost from the immediate closures. Unite the Union called the plans “devastating” and pledged to secure “legal and financial justice” for its impacted members. Unite’s national lead for hospitality also commented on the announcement, saying that the manner in which the announcement was relayed to workers, in a 15-minute conference call with the chief executive, was “deplorable”.

Driverless buses are here to stay

The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) has said that Cambridge is closer to the commercial use of driverless buses than any other UK city, announcing plans to extend a trial of the buses until June 2028. The self-driving buses have been operating in Cambridge since 2025, serving passengers between the Cambridge West Innovation District, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, and two park and ride sites. The buses are programmed to run on a loop, and are supported by cameras and exterior sensors to spot obstructions, with one person on board acting as a safety monitor. GCP said that driverless buses could "significantly improve the public transport offering" in Cambridgeshire by enabling services to run for longer each day, particularly on routes that would normally be deemed commercially unviable. 

Student bands set for Cambridge showdown

The University of Cambridge’s annual Battle of the Bands, 'Take it to the Bridge', will take place at Cambridge Junction’s J1 next Friday (13/03). Four student bands – Ava, Den, Lost Projects and Pulsar – will compete in front of a live audience of students and residents, as well as a judging panel of industry professionals, including Sonita Alleyne, Preye Crooks and Matt Fincham. Audience votes will inform the judges’ decision. Previous champions, including Quasar and the Daniel Daley Sextet, performed at the Cambridge Club Festival. Chloe Brown, communications assistant at the university’s Centre of Music Performance, said: “It’s a brilliant evening, showcasing some real talent in popular music.”