TWO huge chains have already started getting into the festive spirit.
Christmas favourites will be returning to menus at Costa Coffee and Greggs.
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The coffee chain will be serving up their much-loved Terry’s Chocolate Orange Muffin, while Greggs will be dishing out the Sweet Mince pies.
They are following in the footsteps of supermarkets which have already started stocking shelves with festive food.
The wider Christmas menus will be rolled out later in the year.
Costa Coffee
The coffee shop is bringing back it’s own spin on the humble, yet mouthwatering, mince pie.
The Mince Tart is gluten-free and suitable for vegans and looks almost too good to eat.
Adorned with a pastry star and a sprinkle of icing sugar, the slice is the perfect treat to accompany a frothy coffee.
For those who love a classic, the traditional All Butter Mince Pie has also returned to Costa.
The beloved Terry’s Chocolate Orange Muffin is perfect for chocolate lovers, featuring a rich chocolate and orange muffin filled with sauce in the same flavour.
The sweet treat is topped with a Terry’s segment.
Nishant Bhatia, director of Global Food Strategy and UKI Food at Costa Coffee, said: “We’re excited to bring some Christmas magic to our customers a little earlier this year!
“Christmas is all about coming together with friends and family, and what better way to catch up than with a delightful festive sweet treat, perfectly paired with a Costa coffee.”
Greggs
The best way to kick off the start of the festive season is undoubtedly with a Greggs Sweet Mince Pie, which fans can indulge in from just 65p per pie.
For those looking to spread the festive cheer with their friends and family, a pack of six Sweet Mince Pies is available from only £2.25.
Vegan lovers of Greggs can also savour the festive favourite, as the vegan-friendly recipe consists of a crumbly shortcrust pastry, filled with a sweet mincemeat made from vine fruits, Bramley apple, candied orange and lemon peel.
For those of you who aren’t quite ready for Christmas just yet, Greggs has launched its Halloween range.
Fans can enjoy the festive and Halloween feels with a Sweet and Hot Drink Deal, pairing one of the new sweet menu items with a hot drink from just £2.85.
The new Pumpkin biscuit, a ginger biscuit coated in Fairtrade milk chocolate, is available from just £1.25.
The Spooky Bun, a vanilla flavour fairy bun dipped in fondant icing and topped with spine-chilling sugar decorations is also available from only £1.00.
For Greggs fans organising feasts for friends and family this Halloween, the Spooky Bun is also available as a pack of four from £3.15.
This comes after Sainsbury’s shoppers were shocked to find mince pies on sale in early September.
The gobsmacked customer wrote in the caption: “Stock up on your mince pies (take in Sainsbury’s a few days ago, so it was actually August!!!!).”
Another shopper who stumbled upon the Christmas treats in the major supermarket also took to X, and wrote: “On Sept 1 I walked into my local Sainsbury and what did I see on the shelves?
Tesco’s Christmas range has been slowly making its way into supermarkets and, with the festive season now on the horizon with under 100 days to go, the goods will soon be available at all of its 4,000 branches.
ASDA also unveiled its Christmas menu and customers can snap up spiced rum mince pies and parmesan and truffle pigs in blankets.
How to save money eating out
THERE are a number of ways that you can save money when eating out. Here’s how:
Discount codes – Check sites like Sun Vouchers or VoucherCodes for any discount codes you can use to get money off your order.
Tastecard – This is a members club where you pay to have access to discounts worth up to 50 per cent off at thousands of restaurants. It costs £4.99 a month or £34.99 for the year.
Loyalty schemes – Some restaurants will reward you with discounts or a free meal if you register with their loyalty scheme, such as Nando’s where you can collect a stamp with every visit. Some chains like Pizza Express will send you discounts for special occasions, such as your birthday, if you sign up to their newsletter.
Voucher schemes – Look out for voucher schemes offered by third party firms, such as Meerkat Meals. If you compare and buy a product through CompareTheMarket.com then you’ll be rewarded with access to the discount scheme. You’ll get 2 for 1 meals at certain restaurants through Sunday to Thursday.
Student discounts – If you’re in full-time education or a member of the National Students Union then you may be able to get a discount of up to 15 per cent off the bill. It’s always worth asking before you place your order.
For the first time ever, Asda has launched its first signature flavour – brown butter and spiced dark rum.
The flavour runs through a number of the festive food items ,including brown butter and spice dark rum mince pies and a slow cooked turkey with dark rum and brown butter stuffing.
There’s something for all palates and preferences too, with 57 new vegan and 35 new free from products included in the range.
Customers will be able to pick up no-meat turkeys, mushroom pigs in blankets and smoky aubergine bacon.
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