According to a representative of the smaller chain Poundbakery, they started selling vegetarian sausage rolls in and a vegan version in Similarly, the Vegan Antics independent bakery in the English town of Gravesend included vegan sausage rolls on the menu when they opened in But it was the move by Greggs — a nationwide chain with over 2, shops — that brought the vegan sausage roll into the national spotlight.
It had apparently been mulling the idea for a while; Dawn Carr, director of vegan corporate projects at animal rights organisation Peta, says the charity first suggested in that Greggs roll out a vegan sausage roll.
Hungry vegans responded with a petition, which was signed by over 20, people. Behold, the sausage roll: a staple of British snacking. Its 'veganisation' has taken the country by storm Credit: Getty Images.
Part of its success was down to savvy PR. The PR team invited plenty of journalists to try the product, with vegan sausage rolls wrapped in faux iPhone packaging , and created a comically over-the-top promotional film. There was so much resulting goodwill for Greggs that the incident led to a conspiracy theory that Morgan had teamed up with the company to drum up attention.
So far, the market seems to be holding up. But who exactly are the people buying these new products? Cuts were announced, too. It shifts more than 2. This means sandwiches, soups and salads rather than just loaves and cakes, and a range of healthier options, too. Gosforth is the Greggs ground zero. It was just down the road that John Gregg inherited a family yeast-and-eggs business in , delivering baked goods by bicycle before opening the first shop in , on Gosforth High Street.
The original store was bought by a travel agency, which remains today — in a back room, staff showed me the outline of where the Greggs oven once stood.
In his book Bread: The Story of Greggs , Ian Gregg explains that he was inspired by the earlyth-century Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto , who he came across while studying at Cambridge. Gregg realised that by installing small ovens at the back of the shop and doing most of the heavy baking off site, he could achieve most of the theatre — the sights and especially smells of the process — without the hassle of a full-size setup.
The brand quickly expanded, assimilating other bakeries along the way. It went public in In May , it bought the Bakers Dozen chain, doubling its presence overnight.
Whiteside says central London is the only place where Greggs has a limited presence: rents are simply too high. It contributes widely to local charities and community projects, but still pays an annual dividend to shareholders.
The assistant manager at the Gosforth branch, Susie Brewis, told me she had been with the company for 19 years. Business-wise, the company seems to combine a conservative approach to product with an open-mindedness about new ideas.
We allow these more fashion-led places to go first, and then follow if there is demand. Yet the company has taken risks and failed before. Early attempts at healthier options were slow off the ground.
A trial of Greggs Moment, a coffee-shop-style brand with extensive seating, also failed, although its legacy is visible in the shop designs, which are increasingly trendy. In Gosforth, there is plenty of exposed brick, an old delivery bicycle mounted to the wall, and excellent i-fi.
The surprising celebrity fans help. In , the actor and model Milla Jovovich , a woman without outward indicators of a doughnut habit, said she would be happy to become the face of Greggs. More information can be found in our Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.
Greggs is the largest bakery chain in the UK, now with nearly 2, stores nationwide. The premise is affordable and accessible food, at all times of day. Making the Balanced Choice… staystrong pic. Due to changing consumer habits and increasingly high costs, British retailers are struggling. Interestingly, Greggs is one of the brands to buck this trend, instead seeing increased share investment and strong turnover.
One of the reasons for this is how the bakery meets consumer demand. Instead of opening further branches in towns and high streets where it already has a significant presence , it has placed more stores in airports, train stations, and other places where people want to grab-and-go.
The Financial Times reports that, in , Greggs opened shops and closed Furthermore, out of the or more it expects to open this year, most are set to be in out-of-town retail sites and train stations rather than the high street. Last year, an online petition by Peta was signed by 20, people, calling on Greggs to produce a vegan version of its bestselling sausage roll.
This was not the first time that Greggs has turned around negative publicity; PR has been key to its marketing efforts over the years. Instead of sidelining the embarrassment, Greggs quickly retorted, creating an amusing and smart conversation with Google on Twitter.
Hey GoogleUK , fix it and they're yours!!!
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