The bakery chain has close to 2,500 stores in the UK. Thats more than the 1,436 restaurants McDonalds had at the end of 2023, and Subways roughly 2,200 stores.
Durham, in the northeast of England, is where Greggs is based. In some parts of northern England, it’s hard to miss.
The company just posted booming sales, with revenues up nearly 20% in 2023.
Walk down any busy street in the UK and you’re bound to spot the familiar Greggs logo beckoning you inside. Greggs bakery has become a staple of British culture, serving up affordable sandwiches, savory bakes, and sweet treats for over 80 years. But one item reigns supreme in terms of popularity and sales – the humble sausage roll. This quintessentially British pastry enveloping seasoned pork is beloved by many. But just how many sausage rolls does Greggs sell per day across the UK? Let’s dig into the incredible demand for this iconic snack.
A Brief History of Greggs and the Sausage Roll
Greggs first opened in 1939 when John Gregg started his own bakery in Newcastle upon Tyne. The first official Greggs shop opened its doors in the 1950s. Throughout the 60s and 70s, the chain rapidly expanded by opening over 70 new locations across the UK.
The sausage roll quickly emerged as one of Greggs’ signature items during this high-growth period. Its simple formula of flaky pastry wrapped around savory pork filling fast became a customer favorite. Both meat eaters and vegetarians took a liking to this handheld, dough-encased delight.
While Greggs has innovated on the classic sausage roll over the years, the original remains its bestselling item Recent additions like the vegan sausage roll and regional flavors such as the Cornish pasty sausage roll keep things interesting But the OG sausage roll still rules supreme.
Greggs’ Staggering Sausage Roll Sales Per Day
So just how many sausage rolls does Greggs sell on a daily basis? The numbers are simply staggering.
Greggs sells an incredible 1 million sausage rolls per day across its 2,000+ stores in the UK
To put into context how insane this figure is – if one person alone ate a Greggs sausage roll every day, it would take them over 1 million days or 2,740 years to eat the number Greggs sells daily!
Additional data highlights the sausage roll’s hype:
-
Greggs sells 5 sausage rolls every single second
-
That’s 300 sausage rolls per minute
-
And 15,000 sausage rolls every hour
This astronomical demand stems from Greggs’ fresh-baked rolls pumping out of ovens all day long. Hot and flaky sausage rolls are constantly churned out to satisfy customer cravings as soon as shops open.
Why Greggs’ Sausage Rolls Are So Popular
Given the remarkable sales stats, Greggs has clearly perfected its sausage roll recipe. But what factors make it such a winning formula with customers?
-
Convenience – Greggs shops situated in busy areas make grabbing a sausage roll on-the-go easy.
-
Affordability – Typically costing around £1, Greggs sausage rolls offer great value. Their low price point provides accessibility.
-
Freshness – On-site baking means hot, crisp sausage rolls straight from the oven.
-
Taste – Customers rave about the seasoned, meaty filling encased in a buttered, flaky pastry.
-
Comfort food factor – Warm, doughy sausage rolls are the epitome of comforting street food.
-
Brand appeal – Greggs’ friendly branding has broad demographic appeal across all ages.
With convenience, taste, and nostalgia on its side, the Greggs sausage roll has achieved icon status after 80+ years. This humble meat-filled pastry satisfies millions of cravings per day across the nation.
Spotlight on Glasgow – Sausage Roll Capital of the UK
While Greggs shops across the UK sell staggering numbers of sausage rolls daily, one city tops the rest – Glasgow.
With 54 Greggs bakeries, Glasgow earns the title of the sausage roll capital of the UK. Each Glasgow Greggs churns out an average of 1,500 sausage rolls per day. Across all locations, that equals a whopping 30 million sausage rolls produced in Glasgow per year!
Glaswegians consume about 46 Greggs sausage rolls each annually – more than any other city. Glasgow’s dominance highlights the enduring mass appeal of this modest, meat-filled pastry.
Behind the Scenes: How Greggs Keeps Up With Demand
Producing 1 million sausage rolls daily requires streamlined processes. Here’s a glimpse at how Greggs sustains such high volumes:
-
Premium pork, wheat flour, water and spices are combined to create the flavorful sausage meat.
-
Separately, dough is prepared using fortified wheat flour.
-
The dough is rolled out and cut intoGreggs’ signature sausage roll shape.
-
The seasoned sausage meat is placed inside before sealing the edges.
-
Greggs bakes the sausage rolls in-shop for 25 minutes at high heat for a hot, crisp finish.
-
Freshly baked rolls are kept warm until purchase.
This efficient process enables each Greggs to bake up to 1,500 sausage rolls daily. With over 2,000 UK shops, that adds up to 1 million sausage rolls each day!
The Lasting Appeal of An Iconic Pastry
The Greggs sausage roll has become more than just a popular snack. Its accessibility and nostalgia give it widespread demographic appeal. Kids enjoy it as an after-school treat while it takes adults back to their childhoods.
On social media, the roll even united a divided nation, sparking joyful frenzy over the vegan version in 2019. For many Brits, this modest meat-filled pastry evokes national pride.
As Greggs continues expanding across the UK, expect its iconic sausage roll to keep satisfying millions of cravings per day. This beloved staple offers the ideal combination of convenience, affordability and comfort that will always be in high demand.
So next time you’re strolling down a busy British high street, pop into a Greggs and experience the mega-popular sausage roll for yourself. Just one bite will let you taste why these iconic handheld snacks fly off shelves at a rate of 1 million a day!
Piers Morgan famously hated the vegan sausage roll.
When TV host Piers Morgan announced that Greggs would be releasing a vegan sausage roll, it may have helped the company make more money.
“Nobody was waiting for a vegan bloody sausage, you PC-ravaged clowns,” Morgan wrote on X after Greggs announced the snacks launch.
“They stink,” Morgan said in a review on breakfast show “Good Morning Britain” in 2019. He took a bite of a sausage roll and then spat it into a bin. “Why would anyone eat this?” he said.
I think Greggs’ vegan sausage rolls taste great, and their popularity has helped them become more common in stores and coffee shops.
You can generally tell its not made from meat, though. Recently, I tried one and thought it tasted a lot like a meaty sausage roll. But the texture was too soft for my liking. But the flaky pastry was delicious and wasnt greasy or claggy. It cost me just £1. 45 ($1. 84) from a store in central London. Advertisement.
It’s focusing on its evening business with options like pizza.
A recent area of focus for Greggs is evening trade.
Its been keeping its stores open later: Around half of its stores are now open until 7 p. m. or later, with items like chicken goujons, potato wedges, and pizza selling well in the evenings, Greggs says.
Greggs used to only sell pizza slices, but now it also sells pizza boxes, which lets it target both group and individual meals. At the Greggs I went to, they started at £8. 65 ($11) for a six-slice box. Advertisement.
Boris Johnson asked how much does a Greggs sausage roll cost?
FAQ
How many sausage rolls do Greggs sell each week?
What is Greggs biggest seller?
Who has eaten the most Greggs sausage rolls?
How much did Greggs profit from vegan sausage roll?
Is Greggs the king of sausage rolls?
The Nation’s favourite Sausage Roll. Much like Elvis was hailed the King of Rock, many have appointed Greggs as the (unofficial) King of Sausage Rolls. Freshly baked in our shops throughout the day, this British classic is made from seasoned sausage meat wrapped in layers of crisp, golden puff pastry, as well as a large dollop of TLC.
Why are Greggs sausage rolls so popular?
The popularity of Greggs’ sausage rolls can also be attributed to their quality ingredients. For instance, the pork used in the sausage meat is of high quality and sourced from trusted suppliers. Additionally, the pastry is made with fortified wheat flour that provides essential nutrients like calcium and iron.
How many sausage rolls does Greggs sell a day?
According to reports, Greggs sells an impressive five sausage rolls every single second. That’s a staggering 15,000 sausage rolls per hour, 360,000 per day, and over 2.5 million per week. These numbers are a testament to the popularity of the snack, which has become a go-to option for many Brits looking for a quick and tasty lunch or snack.
Does Greggs have a vegan sausage roll?
In fact, since the launch of the vegan sausage roll, Greggs has experienced a 9.6% rise in like-for-like sales in just seven weeks. Despite the recent storms and flooding that have impacted sales, Greggs continues to thrive, with stores open more than a year seeing a 7.5% increase in sales in the nine weeks leading up to February 29th, 2020.