Greggs is the bakery that’s adored across the nation – but one common grumble is that sometimes the food just isn’t served as warm as we’d all like.
It’s a uniquely soul-crushing experience to be eyeing up that perfect golden glossy pastry, all in neat rows, dreaming of the moment you sink your teeth through its flaky layers into the meaty middle, only to bite into a cold, limp, claggy sausage roll.
And it’s not a one-off – it’s pretty normal to be handed a lukewarm baked good in Greggs.
On Twitter, one person said: “The day I go to Greggs and don’t get given a cold steak bake will be the best day of my life”
Someone else said: “@GreggsOfficial is so sh*t. Why do we keep this cold pasty flogging business open? Never have I ever, left greggs and thought ‘wow what a nice hot pasty’.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Sausage rolls aren’t kept warm at Greggs.
But it turns out there is a perfectly good reason that Greggs doesn’t keep its food piping hot for its customers – and it’s a pretty smart business move.
The bakery giant chooses not to heat its food because of a tax loophole.
ADVERTISEMENT
In the UK, businesses are charged VAT on hot food to take away, but they aren’t charged it on cold food to take away.
John Thomson, who narrated the documentary, said: “They’re not being lazy, they’re being clever.”
ADVERTISEMENT
James Oldfield, a former store manager, revealed: “Most places will be keeping their product warm. The reason Greggs can have such reasonable prices is because they don’t have to charge VAT because they’re not keeping them warm, just baking them fresh.”
Instead of keeping their food heated, Greggs teams choose to bake their pastries (which are delivered frozen) in small batches, little and often, in the hopes that customers always get a freshly-baked lunch.
Greggs has confirmed a way to get yourself a hot sausage roll though – you just have to ask the question.
They said on Twitter: “We don’t serve our Bakes as hot as we’d need to charge VAT if we did.
ADVERTISEMENT
“You can always ask our Shop Team what’s fresh from the oven.”
Featured image: Greggs
Trending
You can get FREE sandwiches in Manchester this weekend – but only if you have certain names
Emily Sergeant
Hungry Mancs can help themselves to free sandwiches this bank holiday weekend… but there’s a bit of a catch.
You can only get yourself a sandwich if you have one of these particular names.
We’ve been enjoying some absolutely stunning sunshine across Greater Manchester and much of the UK over the past couple of months, and nothing says sunny days more than taking a packed lunch or grabbing a meal deal and taking it to your local park or greenspace for a picnic.
This is why Pret A Manger has decided to make picnics easier for those who are lucky enough to have a certain type of name.
This late May bank holiday weekend, the popular high street coffee shop chain will be dishing out hundreds of free sandwiches across the UK – including here in Manchester – to anyone whose name happens to start with ‘Nic’.
That means people called Nick, Nicholas, Nicola, Nicole, Nico, Nicolette, and plenty of others could be in with a chance of some free feasting over these next couple of days.
You can get FREE sandwiches in Manchester this weekend / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Supplied
Here in Manchester, it’s the chain’s Portland Street site, just off Piccadilly Gardens, that’s participating in the free giveaway this weekend, and there’ll be 50 sandwiches a day given out, so you’ll need to be quick if your name starts with ‘Nic’ and you’re feeling peckish.
The offer is only limited to Pret’s freshly-made sandwiches, and unfortunately excludes baguettes, wraps, or rye rolls… but free food is better than no food, after all.
All you’ll need to do to grab a freebie is show your ID at the tills of participating stores this Saturday (24 May) to prove your name, and you’ll get to walk out with your lunch in hand, all without having to spend a penny.
Manchester’s Portland Street Pret A Manger will be giving out 50 free sandwiches to ‘Nics’ this Saturday, and they’re on a first-come-first-served basis.
Featured Image – Eaters Collective (via Unsplash)
Trending
BBC needs adventurous Mancs to take part in next series of Race Across the World
Emily Sergeant
Are you a fan of travelling? Got a bit of a competitive streak in your nature? This might just be your calling then.
The BBC is currently casting for the next series of Race Across the World.
The BAFTA-winning hit show is currently airing to thousands of viewers each week, but with the next series now in the works, producers are on the look-out for ‘intrepid duos’ of all ages who reckon they’re ready to take a step into the unknown, and embark on an epic race across land and sea – and that includes Greater Manchester residents.
With applications for the next series of the massively-popular show now open, nomadic Mancs are being encouraged to take part.
On a limited budget and away from the luxuries of modern technology and conveniences, those lucky applicants selected to take part in the next series will get the chance to experience life in some of the world’s most beautiful and remote locations.
BBC is looking for Mancs to take part in next series of Race Across the World / Credit: BBC
Navigating their way across thousands of miles, they’ll travel through spectacular scenery and dynamic cities, visit ancient wonders, learn local customs, and take part in time-honoured traditions.
But, as producers are keen to point out, “the physical journey is only half of the story”.
That’s because, as the contestants take on the challenge of travelling across the world, the greatest thing they’ll discover along the way could actually be about themselves and one another.
Putting out a UK-wide casting call on the BBC website this week, producers Studio Lambert wrote: “We are now accepting applications for the next series of Race Across the World. This experience is open to all, whether you’re a seasoned traveller or total novice.
“We want to hear what undertaking a trip like this would mean to you, and with a cash prize at stake, what lengths you would go to to win.
Applications for the massively-popular show are now open / Credit: BBC
“Maybe you’re looking to change something in your life? Or are keen to share the journey with someone special like a family member, best friend, or someone you’ve lost touch with. You may even have a very personal reason for wanting to travel at this time in your life or explore a particular part of the world.”
Fancy it then?
Applications for the third series of Race Across the World are now open for anyone over 18 years of age, with a deadline date of 6 July 2025, and you can find out more information and apply via the BBC website.
Daisy Jackson -
15th April 2022 
