Sprigg Brings its Fresh Food Philosophy to Byres Road This July
By Isla McGraw
One of Glasgow’s most-loved lunch brands is heading west. You must have heard of Sprigg. Even if the name doesn’t ring a bell, chances are you know the feeling it’s built around. Take yourself back to office life – the commute, meetings and mid-afternoon crash outs – and remember what got you through it all. For me, it was always the promise of a proper lunch. A bland sandwich at my desk or something grabbed in a rush wouldn’t do the job, but something fresh, something you actually chose that felt like a small, deliberate act of looking after yourself would. Sprigg was built on exactly that feeling – that lunchtime rituals matter.
This July, Sprigg will open its fourth location on Byres Road, bringing its customisable salad bowls, fresh ingredients and loyal city-centre following to the heart of the West End.
Lunch Reimagined
For founder Tom, the move has been years in the making.
‘I’ve always wanted to do a shop in the West End,’ he says. ‘I love this part of Glasgow. I love the food and drink culture that exists around here.’
Since opening its first site on Ingram Street in 2018, Sprigg has built a devoted customer base by focusing on simple, fresh food that people can make their own – customisable salad bowls, baked potatoes and soup. The concept was born from Tom’s own experience working in an office while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
‘I was working at Clydesdale bank, trying to eat well, and I couldn’t find lunches that filled me up without spending a fortune or eating things I didn’t really want to eat,’ he explains. ‘The idea was to create a bowl with a volume of food in it that really fills you up and gets you through to the evening whilst actually being good for you.’
That straightforward approach remains at the core of the business today. While the menu has evolved, the philosophy hasn’t changed: fresh ingredients, customisation, and genuine customer service.
‘We look after the staff so that they can look after the customer,’ says Tom. ‘We’re an in-real-life business. A person comes in, meets another person, chats and makes decisions on food they love. We’ll never stray from that.’
Fresh Roots in the West
The Byres Road opening marks an exciting new chapter for the Glasgow-born brand. While Sprigg has already proven itself in the city centre, the West End offers a different audience – from students and remote workers to families and retirees.
Yet Tom believes the values that have made Sprigg successful will resonate just as strongly here.
‘The beauty of locality and community is really important,’ he says. ‘If you offered me 16 Spriggs that compromised on those core values, or four that maintained the quality, customer care and connection we’ve built, I’d take the four every time.’
That connection to Glasgow runs deep. In fact, many customers don’t realise the extra ‘G’ in Sprigg is a nod to the city itself.
‘Sprig with one G is something fresh, like a sprig of thyme but I added the second G for Glasgow.’
As the finishing touches are put on the new Byres Road space ahead of its July opening, one thing is clear: this isn’t just another chain arriving on our patch. It’s a Glasgow success story putting down new roots in one of the city’s most vibrant communities.
Sprigg welcome to the West End.
