Vegan foodies are getting all excited, as Greggs appears to be teasing that one of its fan-favourite pasties is making a comeback next month.
As any fan of the popular bakery will tell you, the Steak Bake is an absolute staple of the Greggs menu, and is undoubtedly one of the chain’s best-sellers, meaning it’s been a mainstay in stores for years on end now… but sadly, the same couldn’t be said about the plant-based alternative.
In case you don’t quite remember its release, or didn’t get a chance to try it the first time round, the Vegan Steak Bake is exactly what it says on the tin – a vegan version of the iconic Steak Bake.
First launched to mark Veganuary – which is an annual challenge to promote and educate about veganism by encouraging people to follow a vegan lifestyle for the month of January – all the way back in 2020, the Vegan Steak Bake joined the chain’s popular, and still existing, Vegan Sausage Roll to form part of its growing meat-free lineup.
The Vegan Steak Bake was created to mirror some of the original pasty’s features, according to Greggs.
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Greggs has been teasing the return of the Vegan Steak Bake next month / Credit: Greggs
It featured thin layers of puff pastry, and a filling made with pieces of Quorn instead of beef, all mixed in with diced onions and a meat-free gravy.
While the bake seemed to be a hit with vegans, vegetarians, and those who just fancied a meat-free alternative to their day, it sadly didn’t stick around for too long, and a number of other plant-based options have been introduced in its place ever since – including the Vegan Sausage, Bean and CheeZe Melt, the Vegan Festive Bake, and more.
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But now, if the hints being dropped all over social media are anything to go by, it looks like it’s time for a Vegan Steak Bake comeback in 2024.
Greggs has been taking to Instagram Stories and X this week to reply to fans who have previously been devastated by the Vegan Steak Bake being discontinued, and have more or less confirmed to them that it won’t be long before they’ll get to tuck into one again.
The Vegan Steak Bake is [REDACTED] on [REDACTED] – hope that helps!
One fan wrote: “Don’t think I’ll ever forgive Greggs for removing the Vegan Steak Bake from their menu tbh”, to which Greggs responded: “What if we said sorry?”
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Another eager fan questioned: “When is the Vegan Steak Bake coming back?”, again, to which Greggs cryptically replied back on X: “The Vegan Steak Bake is [REDACTED] on [REDACTED] – hope that helps!”
Although there have been no details confirmed as of yet, a number of vegan foodie social media platforms – including Vegan Food UK – seem to believe it’ll be stocked on shelves from early January onwards.
And understandably, fans are absolutely made-up about it, with many calling it a “huge day” and some even saying their “prayers have been answered”.
The majority, however, do seem to wish it was the Vegan Sausage, Bean and CheeZe Melt returning instead though – with one fan commenting: “We want the sausage, bean and cheese back,” and another adding: “Vegan sausage, bean & cheeze is what needs to come back, not this,” and a third echoing the same thoughts: “WE WANT VEGAN SAUSAGE BEEN AND CHEESEEEE.”
“Never liked this one tbf,” one person even admitted.
However, despite fans weighing in, nothing has been confirmed about the Vegan Steak Bake’s comeback at this point, nor do we know how long the pasty will stick around for this time if – and when – it does eventually return.
An official announcement on the Vegan Steak Bake for 2024 is expected in due course.
Featured Image – Greggs
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The cheapest Christmas Markets in the world for mulled wine have been revealed
Daisy Jackson
The most affordable Christmas Markets for drinking mulled wine have been revealed – and Manchester is nowhere in sight.
With Christmas markets across Europe preparing to welcome millions of visitors, festive fans looking to enjoy a warming cup of glühwein without breaking the bank might want to take note of the latest findings.
Festive experts at Christmas Tree World have analysed mulled wine prices at Christmas markets around the world to discover where visitors can enjoy the seasonal favourite for less.
Topping the rankings is Brussels’ Winter Wonders, where mulled wine is available for as little as £2.14 – about a third of the price of a mulled wine at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
Cologne Cathedral Christmas Markets and Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik share second place, with starting prices of just £2.56.
Other European favourites also feature prominently in the rankings. Budapest’s Christmas Market at the Basilica takes fourth place, with mulled wine costing £3.19, while Prague’s Old Town Square Christmas Market comes in sixth at £3.55.
Germany makes another strong appearance, with Dresden’s Striezelmarkt and Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt (which handily just launched new direct flights from Manchester) both offering mulled wine for £3.85.
Meanwhile, Vienna’s Christmas World rounds off the European entries in ninth place, with prices starting at £4.28.
For those planning a festive adventure further afield, Tokyo’s Christmas Market also makes the top five, with mulled wine costing £3.22.
However, not every destination offers such a bargain. Across the Atlantic, New York City’s Winter Village takes the title of the most expensive market in the study, with mulled wine costing a rather less festive £11.74. Chicago’s Christkindlmarket isn’t far behind, charging £8.80.
Manchester Christmas Markets start on Friday 6 November – we’ll see how our prices stack up then.
Sir Ian McKellen pays emotional tribute to long-time friend and fellow northern actor Sir Patrick Stewart
Emily Sergeant
Sir Ian McKellen has paid an emotional tribute to his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, following his death.
Sir Patrick Stewart – who was born and bred in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and is best-known for his theatre work alongside an illustrious 60-year screen career, taking on prominent roles in franchises such as Star Trek and X-Men – sadly passed away at the age of 86, with his death being announced publicly yesterday evening (29 October).
And now, his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Ian McKellen, has paid tribute.
Sir Patrick and Sir Ian shared the stage together countless times over their decades-long careers, but also famously starred alongside each other in the X-Men franchise, and subsequent Marvel movies, as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Magneto.
The tribute, shared across Sir Ian’s social media platforms, reads: “Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.
“We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions.
“My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in ‘Star Trek’. “But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
“Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did, for not just his devoted Trekkies, but film and theatre audiences who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (‘X-Men’ of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin.
“But he never forsook his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.”