Scraping the bakery barrel in terms of quality. (Greggs in general)

Member Name: SweetBerryJam

Product:	Greggs in general
Date:	29/10/09 (113 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, massive range.

Disadvantages: CHEAP. And all the connotations that come with it. Very busy instore.

I am an erstwhile employee of bakery giant Gregg's, and thought I would write a review of them based upon my experiences there, and since, with their food!

First, a little background:

I worked in Gregg's in my hometown in the Midlands from age 16, on Saturdays and occasional weekdays when i could fit it around college. I ate lunch there often, even when not working, as my college was nearby, and as an employee I was entitled to a 50% discount (this may have changed now, as we're talking 9 years ago..).

Seeing as I worked there intermittently until I was 18, I can safely say I have eaten virtually every product they sell, including the frankly heinous Corned Beef pasty (the most revolting baked product I have ever had the misfortune to consume) and an impossible number of custard slices, jam doughnuts, egg custards and 'lardy cakes'. But, thank goodness, I have avoided coronary heart failure in spite of this, and lived long enough to recount my experience to you all at dooyoo!

I will briefly overview the range available at Gregg's at present:

Sandwiches and Baguettes:

Gregg's sell a range of white and brown bread sandwiches, from standard fare such as egg, tuna, BLT and cheese and onion, to fancier grilled chicken buns, some featuring (gasp!) mango or other extravagances. All seems a bit fancy for Gregg's but they seem very popular. The baguettes are decent value at £2 ish and are VERY filling - Gregg's certainly don't scrimp on their ingredients! Standard sandwiches are about £1.30 dependent on filling, and are reasonable but nothing earth-shattering.

Pasties and pies:

The 'savouries' section in Gregg's is always very popular, particularly their infamous sausage rolls (of which I must've baked a million in my time). The variety includes Steak Bake, Chicken Pasty, Sausage and Bean Bake, Standard Cornish Pasty, Big Beast of a Cornish Pasty, Vegetarian Pasty, Cheese & Onion Pasty and numerous seasonal specials such as the Turkey and Stuffing Bake. They are generally oozing grease and have very little nutritional content, however they ARE satisfying. The chicken pasty, for instance, has very little taste, and certainly the chicken flavouring gets a little lost in the white sauce, but once you start eating one you CANNOT STOP. They're like heroin, only slightly less deadly. Anyway, I digress.

Gregg's also sells pies (of the Pukka variety) and pizza breads which are effectively just baguettes with tomato puree and cheese on. It's all standard fare and nothing too objectionable so long as you don't mind the presumably cheap ingredients that enable them to sell things so cheaply.

Cakes:

Gregg's does have a spectacular range of cakes, pastries, muffins and biscuits which are fairly cheap and of reasonable quality. Most of these are not made on site, but brought in fresh every day from an external bakery. The highlights are the bargain priced egg custards, the jam-cream sponge for under £3 and the seasonal strawberry tart which comes with a dollop of cream. However the years of eating two cakes a day are behind me now, and I can't bring myself to eat their sugary offerings anymore, which is a pity.

Bread:

The bread is pretty decent at Gregg's, and they have a substantial range of wholemeal, granary and white varieties. I find the bloomers and country loaves best, and the fact they are not pre-sliced makes them preferable to supermarket alternatives, as you can get them sliced instore if necessary. There is also an option now to buy a '7 slice' extra bite loaf (which they make the popular 'extra bite' sandwiches from) which are great for if you live alone and can't use a whole loaf without it going off.

Drinks:

Gregg's serves standard drinks including Coca Cola, Sprite, Lucozade, Ribena, Oasis and more. Some stores also sell hot drinks including coffee, tea, and mochas, lattes etc. The prices are higher than what you'd pay in a newsagents for the same bottled drink, but they're not excessive.

Seasonal Products:

At particular times of the year, Gregg's will reel out seasonal goods to mark occasions such as Halloween, Christmas or Valentines Day. Currently they have a Toffee Apple Lattice, Creepy Cupcakes featuring pumpkins and spiders, Spooky Ring Buns which are iced fairy cakes with witches and similar adorning them, Monster Mallows which are pumpkin shaped shortcake biscuits, and Bat biscuits, which are a take on the traditional gingerbread man. These are all cheap and kids will love 'em :)

The overarching image I have of Gregg's is one of cheapness, and this is something I learned early on when I was working there. The ingredients are cheap, and the flavours chemically enhanced. This is not to say they're bad - but don't expect startling quality. Let's face it, you don't go to Gregg's for anything fancy, you go to fill your face with starchy goodness and go home happy with bits of flaky pastry down your front. I'm pretty sure the products aren't Michelin-star quality, but that probably isn't the point!

The biscuits and cakes are nice for children as they're excessively sugary and probably loaded with e-numbers. But generally, the food is suitable only as a 'budget buy' - no matter what they claim about 'premium steak' or '100% chicken breast' you will end up with the dregs. Cheap ingredients is what makes Gregg's what it is. You can take it, or leave it!

Summary: Not for you if you value premium ingredients or haute cuisine. Obviously.