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Greggs’ customers overwhelmingly prefer its vegan sausage roll over the traditional one, according to a poll launched on its Facebook page earlier today.
The chain launched its vegan sausage roll in January this year, saying it had been ‘designed to mirror some of the sausage roll’s classic features, including 96 layers of light and crisp puff pastry, but instead is made with a bespoke Quorn filling’.
The product immediately started selling out nationwide, with Greggs Chief Executive Roger Whiteside admitting the brand was surprised at how much attention it whipped up. He revealed it is the fastest selling new product Greggs has launched in six years.
‘You can only pick one’
In the four hours following the launch of its Facebook poll, which asked customers to pick their favorite roll, saying ‘you can only save one…’, over 40,000 people responded. More than 27,000 opted for the vegan roll, with 13,000 going for meat.
“This poll is really the following question,” said one respondent. “If you have a choice between two products one which is cruelty-free, healthier, and better for the planet or one which is the product of abuse, torture, and death, unhealthy, and destructive to the planet you live on which option would you choose? Only the most absolutely selfish of people would ever choose the latter.”
Others were more cynical, with one person asking: “Are you actually planning on discontinuing one or are you just upset that the hype is dying down?”
Greggs has confirmed to Plant Based News that it has no plans to discontinue either product – and this is just a poll.
‘Can’t tell the difference’
According to a review by The Sun newspaper, there is very little difference between the taste of the two sausage rolls.
“The pastry has the same golden color as it does normally, and you wouldn’t be able to tell that this is a meat-free product from just looking at it,” its review said.”And even when you break into it, the filling is the same pale beige as cooked sausage meat. But surely it can’t taste of meat too? Honestly – I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
“The filling is soft and mild with a hint of pepper. The pastry is flaky as you like too, and I actually think it might be better than what you get with the meaty sausage roll. It maybe doesn’t have the same depth of flavor as sausage meat, but if you’d told me there was actually pork inside, I’d have believed you.”
