Mince Pies (Greggs) By @Cinabar

I know it is only October, but we were passing Greggs, and the mince pies in the cabinets caught our eyes. We are weak. I try to wait until November before I get the Christmas food out, but in the moment we just ended up buying these. If you aren’t from Britain Mince Pies contain no meat; they are filled with current and spices and are a Christmas treat. I have no idea why they are called'mince’ pies, and even more confusing, Greggs also makes a beef mince pie too; that is the usual meat and gravy but has a similar name.

These pies are wide but shallow and served in the normal silver tray. I unpeeled the foil and bit in. The pastry was buttery, light and soft, and slightly crumbly. It had a lovely, sweet, buttery taste. The filling looked more generous than the shallow appearance gave it credit. It was sweet and juicy with lots of spice. I might not be ready to put the Christmas tree up, but I might keep my eye out for more mince pies. 

Greggs Festive Fabulous Bakes (Iceland) By @Cinabar

What says Christmas dinner better than a Greggs bake filled with roast dinner flavours? I actually bought these Greggs Festive Fabulous Bakes in Iceland not Greggs but had them in the freezer for a quick lunch. They oven baked easily and the pastry browned off nicely in the oven.

 

The first thing I noticed about these Greggs Festive Fabulous Bakes is that the meat inside the bake is chicken not turkey, I like chicken but if you are going to go for festive theming I fell this was a missed opportunity. Everyone knows it is turkey at Christmas. The bake itself though was still lovely and tasty. The pasty was soft and crispy with a a nice buttery edge. The flavours inside were good, the chicken was moist, the bacon was a nice touch and I loved the herbs giving a stuffing like flavour. I’d happily have these Greggs Festive Fabulous Bakes again and keep some in the freezer for quick lunches, there isn’t really any need for the ‘festive’ label it is just a nice chicken roast dinner flavour in a bake.

Greggs Sausage and Beans Melts (Iceland) By @cinabar

Watching the Great British Bake Off last week I spotted that a few people were making breakfast quiches and the subject of baked beans came up, apparently many people don’t like them. I found this quite shocking for me they are on the essentials of a full English breakfast, along with bacon, sausage and egg. I also like them on toast, and from KFC, beans are good people. They were described as tasteless and boring on the Bake Off, sad times.

Anyway as I like baked beans I couldn’t resist trying out these frozen Greggs Sausage and Beans Melts, to get the Greggs experience at home you just pop them in the oven and bake them. Plus there were three in the box instead of two as they were on special at Iceland, bonus. They went quite golden, and the beans had started to drip at one side but it is ok because I’m not actually on the Bake Off. The flavour was lovely though. The pastry was crispy and buttery the filling had loads of tomato flavour from the beans, and the sausage was good and meaty. It was a nice mix so finding a piece of the meat broke it up and made it interesting to eat. I thoroughly enjoyed these bakes and their baked bean goodness, worth keeping a box in the freezer for a quick lunch or dinner.

Frozen Greggs Sausage Rolls (Iceland) By @Cinabar

I have eaten Greggs sausage rolls many times but this is the first time I’ve not bought them at Greggs. There used to be a Greggs where I previously worked and buying these from the shop was always a treat, especially after a difficult meeting! I had no idea that there were other suppliers Greggs Sausage Rolls but pleased a freezer shop had them. I found these online at Iceland and added them to my virtual basket to give them a try out. I thought these would be cooked sausage rolls but they are frozen so the pastry actually needs baking. We put them into the oven, from frozen, and they soon went golden in the ccooking. The kitchen also smelt really good while they were baking. 
So they look just like the ones you would buy in store at Greggs, which is a success, but they have that added advantage of being piping hot and fresh. The pastry is rich and flaky and the sausage meat was soft and tasty, just like the ones bought from the shop.
I love the convenience of these Greggs Sausage Rolls, having some in the freezer for a cheery lunch is a win win.

A Greggs Christmas - Christmas Lunch Toastie And Festive Bake (@NLi10)

As it gets colder and the shops cotton on to the fact that some people want Christmas to start at Midnight on Halloween we see the festive variations creep onto the shelves.  Gregg's started their viral advertising early and hard this year by putting a sausage roll into the nativity instead of aliens and otters like my family's ever expanding Playmobil version contains.

I assume this was to announce the following - we do a Christmas Toastie - and a Festive Bake now!

I'm sure they have done these previously, and I may have even reviewed the bake, but I don't remember the toastie and it's quite a cool proposition.  A hot turkey and bacon sandwich doesn't need festive branding to get me interested.  This is £3.

The Festive Bake is half the price - but it's just chicken and bacon which isn't quite as festive.  Also the chunks are smaller and less recognisable.

As you can see the sandwich is quite stuffed - with big quality chunks of meat and actual recognisable ingredients and flavours.  They have decided that it needed cheese on top - because toasties can't exist without it?! This kind of ruins the festive flavour a bit, but luckily the rest is good enough to overpower it.  Well worth it if you like all the ingredients and want a hot sandwich.

I had the Festive slice for pudding (unremarkable compared to the sandwich, but certainly edible).  And an egg custard for starter because the sandwich takes a little while to toast.

Greggsnut Revisited - now nationwide? (By @NLi10)

http://www.foodstufffinds.co.uk/2013/09/greggsnut-cronut-style-greggs-by-c2leu.html

Way back in 2013 our London correspondent found and reviewed the two flavours of fake cronut that Greggs had made and blighted with the name Greggsnut. Three and a half years later these have made it to Greggs Bromsgrove and I got to try one.

It's a curious arrangement - as those who lived through the initial hype will remember - as basically you make a doughnut out of croissant pastry and glaze it lots of times.  Puddings that take far too much effort to make are certainly in vogue and so this pecan and maple affair is going to get at least some attention.

The problem is that it still tastes like yesterday's croissant covered in icing with a bit of added flavour too.  That's not something worth the £1 asking price when that would get you a couple of fresh today egg custards! It's an experience I, glad that I've had, but not one that I think many English people will enjoy. That said I want to try the fruit flavoured one - and try heating it up bare eating to see if it revives like stale Krispy Kreme do.

High Street Coffee Foodstuff Fight (Greggs vs Costa vs Starbucks)

The lovely folks at Greggs asked if I wanted to try out their coffee and see how it compares to their rivals. They wanted a fair review and comparison. This meant I had to go and get caffeinated, and had Lattes from Greggs, Costa and Starbucks.
I do like Lattes and often have them a treat at the weekend, so I thought it would interesting to do this direct comparison.

First up I went to Costa and ordered a “medium” Latte. I know size varies, but I thought I’d ask for medium and just see what I got. The coffee was made freshly in front of me, with a fresh espresso being stacked into the machine. I noticed that the lady who went on to make it used the heated milk from the previous customer without re-heating it for me. Consequentially my Latte was not hot. I asked for take-out which I think needs special consideration for temperature, if any drink should be hot it is this, the customer intends to walk somewhere with it. A warm latte is such a disappointing thing and I have to say it isn’t the first time this has happened to me in Costa.
On a more pleasant note the drink had a nice flavour, it was very smooth and creamy and quite mild in terms of the coffee. I’d have preferred a stronger flavour, but the coffee was fresh. The takeout cup was good, it was deeply coloured, and had corrugated wrinkles to keep the heat. To be honest the drink needed all the help it could get with this.

Costa
Cost for a medium: £2.55 2 / 5
Temperature: Warm 1 / 5
Taste: Mild 4 / 5
Fresh: 5 / 5
Smell: 3 / 5
Aesthetics: 4 / 5
TOTAL: 19

Next up I went to Starbucks, and ordered a medium Latte and waited for my drink. As I was standing in line I noticed that the tables weren’t cleared and that people sitting down had stacked up mugs and plates on the one remaining empty table. It is such a simple thing to keep the tables clean and it makes the experience when it comes to having a drink out on a Saturday afternoon.
The drink came quickly enough and felt nice and hot. Again it was made with a fresh espresso and in a traditional machine, the milk being heated separately, but this time it was good and hot.
The paper cup wasn’t corrugated, so it actually had the opposite problem to Costa’s, it was hot to handle. The cup was just thin card but had the Starbucks logo on it.
I very much enjoyed the drink. The coffee was stronger, and the milk made the drink smooth, so again a very good Latte.

Starbucks
Cost for a medium: £2.60 1 / 5
Temperature: Hot 5 / 5
Taste: Rich 5 / 5
Fresh: 5 / 5
Smell: 3 / 5
Aesthetics: 2 / 5
TOTAL: 21

Greggs was up next. When I saw the prices of Lattes I opted for a large, but have noted the price below for a medium, it is significantly cheaper than the other two shops. My latte was made in a machine, which seemed to add the milk itself via the button. The coffee is fresh though as there was a sign saying it used fresh coffee.
The cup it came in was just thin card, with the logo neatly on it, and the coffee (and therefore cup) was good and hot. The flavour was good, the coffee was strong and the milk plentiful. I think the coffee was of good quality but the hot milk aspect wasn’t quite as frothy as in the other drinks. It was a good Latte though, and the coffee did stand up to its competitors.

Greggs
Cost for a medium: £1.75 4 / 5 (I went for a large as it was only £2)
Temperature: Hot 5 / 5
Taste: Flavoursome 4 / 5
Fresh: 4 / 5
Smell: 3 / 5
Aesthetics: 2 / 5
TOTAL: 22

On a side note I was asked to rate the drink on aroma too, which as you can see I have done. I think with Lattes their aroma isn’t very strong and as such none of the drinks received high points. I think it is a Latte thing, I’m guessing Espresso or Americanos would have a far more aromatic smell.

So the winner then was Greggs. I think this stems from the fact that the drinks were all quite similar in taste, there wasn’t much in it at all. Don’t get me wrong I think I’ve learnt to ask for ‘extra hot’ in Costa, but taste wise it was all good. The major difference was price, and these days when we are all watching the pennies it is a significant factor.

By Cinabar

New Greggs Katsu Chicken Curry Lattice (@GreggsOfficial) [By @Cinabar]

We sometimes have a Greggs takeout as a weekend treat, picking up either sandwiches or one of their fab sausage rolls. This weekend I was all ready to pick up a tasty ham roll, when something at the counter caught my eye. Katsu Chicken Curry Lattice, which sounded quite adventurous for Greggs.
I've had Katsu Curry a number of times before, but usually in Japanese restaurants, it normally consists of a piece of breaded chicken with a spicy sauce and rice, so I was curious to see how that translated into a Lattice! I felt this was quite an interesting twist from Greggs, I associate them more with the cheese and onion pasty!

I took a bite in and was met with a very generous spicy chicken filling. The chicken wasn't breaded, but the lattice was sprinkled with a spicy breadcrumb, so they are doing it that way. I always like Greggs pastry and this was light and crispy and did the job perfectly.
The flavour was very tasty, with lots of spices, and a surprising amount of chilli heat. It was quite a hot snack, if I was going to label it I would put it on the side of medium-hot. It wasn't too much but it was punchier than I'd expected, particularly from Greggs. It did have a rather lovely creamy aftertaste, which helped with the heat, and gave each bite a pleasing smooth finish. I was pleasantly surprised with the Japanese twist in this lattice, and look forward to picking up another. Get them while you can though, Greggs have these listed as a Limited Seasonal Edition.

By Cinabar

Mexican Chicken Oval - Quicknic Food (Greggs) [By @cinabar]

I think we all know what the British summer is like. Changeable, and with no guarantees of a sunny day, if we do get one it is likely to be at short notice. This is why we have the emergency barbecue stuff, ie bacon and sausages in the freezer, just waiting to be defrosted and cooked alfresco. On a similar note to make the most of a hot day, Greggs wanted to remind us of their selection of foodstuffs and its ability to be used for a Quicknic (or short notice picnic). I have been testing these out for lunches, which can be enjoyed inside or out dependent on how the kind the weather is being. There is a Geggs a five minute walk from where I work, so this is one of my favourite places to go for lunch, whatever the weather.
I decided to go for a Mexican Chicken Oval as my main item. There was just enough spice, but not enough to over power the flavours in the sandwich. I know some of their wraps can be quite hot, so I like the balance of warmth here better. The chicken was fresh and moist. Greggs make their sandwiches fresh everyday, so the salad was still crunchy and the bread still fluffy. The seeds are a nice addition.
One of my favourite Greggs items is the humble sausage roll, so obviously we picked up some of those too, and it wouldn’t be a proper treat without something from the cake section. Iced finger buns are also a must!

By Cinabar

New Omelette Breakfast Roll (@GreggsOfficial) [By @Cinabar]

Sometimes on a Friday we have a special start to the day and treat ourselves to breakfast sandwiches. Greggs is pretty close to where we work, so we know the menu well, and go there often enough to have coffee loyalty cards. ;-)
New on the menu is this Omelette Breakfast Roll, which is exciting for a number of reasons. Firstly it means that there is now a vegetarian option breakfast roll on the menu at Greggs. Secondly omelette sandwiches are awesome. I used to work in central Birmingham near a cafe that sold omelette sandwiches, and I absolutely fell in love with them. There is just something so right about about egg and bread.
Obviously I gave the Greggs version a try the first opportunity I had, another colleague joined me and some others went for the usual bacon / sausage choices. The breakfast rolls are just £2 and come with a hot drink, which is good value in my opinion.

Once we were back at our desks I unwrapped my omelette breakfast roll. There were a few slices of omelette, inside the bread, and it looked fairly generously filled. There was more than you can see in the picture.
I tucked in and the wonderful flavours of seasoned eggy goodness were just heaven. I thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful. the roll was perfect too, lovely soft and white. There is no risky yolk to ruin your top, just egg in its safest format. I sipped my coffee and asked my colleague what she thought of hers. She wasn’t so impressed, she said hers was a bit salty and that she’d rather have a sausage one next week. You can’t win them all, but I was totally taken by it. I know what I’m having next time.

By Cinabar

Raspberry Jam and Toast Flavour Muffin (Greggs) [By @Cinabar]

At breakfast time you may have pondered the choice as to what to have. Do you fancy jam and toast or a breakfast muffin, decisions decisions. Well not any more. This new product from Greggs actually consists of both, it is a Jam and Toast flavoured Muffin the creativity of which really made me smile. The muffin is packaged in a bright red wrapper and has a crumble like topping. This topping turned out to taste like toast, it was oat like and bizarrely bread like. The flavour of the sponge was like this too, it wasn’t that sweet but did remind me of toast and butter. It was pleasant and fun, but also very tasty. Texture wise it was a lovely light sponge and not heavy like you might have thought from the suggestion of toast. When I got to the middle of the muffin there was a huge dollop of raspberry jam sitting in the middle. This was a little runny, but not messy.

It was packed with a lovely burst of berry flavours that sweetened up the overall taste of the toast like flavour. As you can imagine the jam and toast flavours worked very well together.  I found the muffin really satisfying, spot on for a fun quick breakfast with a nice hot coffee. Yes I know I’m easily sold on a novelty, but this actually works, wholesome toast flavours and a sweet jam centre all packaged in a fluffy sponge – heaven.
If you’re looking at something more filling I noticed Greggs have started doing egg as an addition to the breakfast range, so I’m looking forward to trying their bacon and egg sandwich next.

By Cinabar

New Greggs Hot Dog (@GreggstheBakers) [By @Cinabar]

I was quite excited to find that Greggs have started selling hot dogs as one of their new foods. The lovely folks from Greggs asked if I wanted to give one a try, and I couldn’t resist. There happens to be a very large branch of Greggs near me and it has just reopened following refurbishment so I thought this would be a nice excuse to give it a try out. I ordered the hot dog and had it fully loaded with plenty of ketchup, mustard and onions. A colleague also chose to give one a try, but had initially not been that enthusiastic at the idea (she is a Cheese and Onion Pasty kind of girl). She went along with the hot dog idea though, she too had all the toppings.
The hot dogs came in a cute paper wrapper, and the onions on top looked liked dried onions, they were crunchy too. I liked the mix of textures, the bread was very soft and fluffy, but then Greggs are bakers, and the meat was firm and the onions were lovely and crisp. The hot dog sausage tasted authentic, with that proper frankfurter taste whihc was seriously good. The ketchup was sweet and mustard had that lovely kick of American flavour. In short I thoroughly enjoyed my hot dog as did my previously unconvinced friend. She said the toppings and the crunchy onions made it for her. I was impressed by just how filling the hot dog was too, it did me nicely for lunch.
Another on the ball guy from work noticed if you download the Greggs App you get a voucher for a free hot dog, so I think it is safe to say we will be going back for more! :-)

By Cinabar