My first reaction upon trying the new Greggs Vegan sausage roll was a moment of panic when I thought I might have been given a meat one by accident. After reassuring myself that I hadn’t, I took this as a sign of how just good they are. I was slightly sceptical especially because of all of the hype built around their release but after trying one I was very impressed, they taste like the Greggs sausage rolls of my childhood; flaky, soft and rib-sticking, which I haven’t eaten for easily ten years. They also are free from any strange aftertaste which is so often the bane of many vegan alternatives.
The vegan sausage rolls were released on the 3rd January to a trial 950 of their stores, their demand has been impressive, and they’re regularly sold out, which has meant many people have still not yet been able to try one. But the positive side to this is that because of their undeniable success Greggs has now made them available in all their stores. They currently cost £1 each, which is 5 pence more than their meat counterparts, but are still considerably cheaper than most high street vegan food options.
However, the reaction has not been all positive, Glasgow Live recently posted an article about the supposed protest where a couple were spending £40 daily on vegan sausage rolls from the Greggs inside Buchanan bus station just to bin them. Whilst there have been some ridiculous responses to the release all over the UK, I think the likelihood of there being 40 vegan sausage rolls available at any one time to be the most implausible part of the story. I got death stares from the queue when I tried to buy four a few days after their release (only two of them were for me I swear). The rolls are also not Greggs first vegan product, as last year they released a Vegan ‘Mexican Bean Wrap’ and began offering soy milk.
The response to them shows that the market is there for more meat free options and will hopefully prompt other companies to expand their vegan ranges. Being vegan does not have to mean living off salad and it’s very exciting to see so many people enjoying them, my meat-eating sister recently texted me a picture of her trying one and how impressed she was with it. My verdict is that the vegan sausage rolls have been a huge success, they taste amazing and are so affordable. And the fact that they enrage Piers Morgan is the cherry on top!
[Gracie Beswick]
[Image Credit: Michael Taylor]
qmunicatemagazine.com 