Greggs

Ceramicist and Saint Lucia local, Amanda, went viral on TikTok last year when she posed a special quest for UK travellers. This year, she’s upping the stakes in her pursuit of a sausage melt.

For all the beauty and sunshine that Saint Lucia offers, one of its few short falls is its lack of a Greggs. After achieving viral success with her social media call to action last year, one Saint Lucia resident is setting Brits on a quest to help with her sausage melt fix.

On September 1, the TikTok creator and ceramicist Amanda offered up a “side quest” to British travellers planning a visit to Saint Lucia. Posting under her TikTok account, @keramikslu, she asked inbound holidaymakers to bring her some Greggs sausage and bean melts.

In exchange, the generous travellers will get to take their pick of one of her pottery creations. While it may seem like a big ask to some, Amanda was spurred by the success of her same call to action last year, though this time she’s updated her request.

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“Well ladies and gentleman, it’s that time of year again,” Amanda shared in a recent TikTok video. “Are you British? Are you coming to St. Lucia on holiday? Are you going to be staying at Coconut Bay?” she asked her followers.

If you answered yes to all of these questions, then Amanda wants to know if you can do her a “little favour please” and bring her some Greggs. But while last year, she was only asking for a single sausage and bean melt, she’s upped the ante this time round.

“I have upped the difficulty level just a tiny bit because it was so easy apparently last time. The challenge is this: can you bring me a frozen box of Gregg’s sausage and bean melts. Can you? Can you!”

The same rules as last time apply, she clarifies: “As a reward, I’ll bring you here [to the studio] and let you pick your own pottery”. Amanda is the business owner of the pottery site Keramik Saint Lucia Artisan Ceramics.

According to her blog she learned to make pottery in Vietnam and continued taking classes in Manchester, UK before deciding to move to Saint Lucia at the end of 2019. It is here that she began documenting her attempt to process clay dug up on her own land.

Her TikTok video concludes with a simple plea: “So British people coming to Saint Lucia staying at Coconut Bay, are you up for the challenge? Please say you are. Please. I really need some Greggs.”

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In just three days, the video has massed over 400,000 views and users in the comments are already signing on to the challenge. One wrote: “Adding Coconut Bay to my travel list just so I can bring you Greggs”.

Another commenter identifying themselves as a British Airways cabin crew member shared they’re also ready to help if Amanda can meet them at the airport. “I’m genuinely willing to get you your Greggs! I’m BA cabin crew and coming to St Lucia on Monday!” they wrote.

Amanda’s original video shared in May 2024 achieved viral success with over 1.5 million views. The following week, she shared a video of her meeting up with a traveller to exchange her pottery for a Greggs delivery with the caption: “happily ever after”.

Let’s hope there’s another happy reunion for Amanda.

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SHOPPERS have gone wild for a fan-favourite Greggs product which has hit the shelves at Iceland. 

The incredible baked product only costs £3 and you can get 4 of the delicious treats in one pack.

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Greggs is known for its huge range of pastries, from its vegan sausage rolls to its steak and chicken bakes. 

The bakery’s pain au chocolat are a particular favourite and are normally only available in stores. 

However, customers now can pick up a four-pack of frozen pain au chocolat from Iceland. 

An eagle-eyed shopper spotted the product whilst shopping and took to Facebook to break the news.

They captioned their post: “Greggs frozen Pain Au Chocolat spotted at Iceland Foods.”

Fans flooded the comments section, sharing their love for the baked product. 

One wrote:”I got a bag yesterday, £3.”

Another raved: “They’re the best!”

The news comes after Greggs quietly axed a fan-favourite sandwich. 

Exclusively revealed by The Sun, the Roast Chicken Salad Roll has been pulled from the bakery’s shelves. 

Greggs has been revamping its lunch range, with a new sandwich – also named the Roast Chicken Salad Roll – taking the old product’s place. 

It includes sliced roast chicken breast, topped with tomato, cucumber, mixed leaf salad and mayonnaise.

Earlier this year, Greggs was also forced to make a major change to some of its stores. 

Due to a surge in shoplifting offences, several of the lunch items were moved behind the counter. 

In some locations, the bakeries were enduring one robbery every twenty minutes – prompting the change. 

One Greggs worker told The Sun: “The stealing before was so bad.

“I couldn’t put a number on how many thieves came in every day.”

At the time, a spokesperson for the bakery said: “This is one of a number of initiatives we are trialling across a handful of shops which are exposed to higher levels of anti-social behaviour.

“Safety of our colleagues and customers remains our number one priority.”

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BRITS could receive as much as £2,500 in free cash to spend in the likes of Greggs, M&S or Waitrose, thanks to a scheme run by a major energy supplier.

E.ON has relaunched its ‘refer a friend’ scheme and the company will hand out £50 in retail vouchers for customers and their friend, if there is a successful referral.

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So under the new, improved scheme both the existing customer and the new one will both receive the voucher.

They can be spent at a number of high street retailers, including Waitrose, Argos, Greggs and Ticketmaster.

However, the money is capped at £2,500.

Both parties will receive their voucher once the new customer has paid their first direct debit.

Julian Lennertz, Chief Commercial Officer, E.ON Next, said: “We know our customers have really valued the £50 credit they received on their energy account under our previous scheme.

“We’ve also learned that our customers want more choice over where and how they spend their £50 thank you, so they can get the best value for them.

“That’s why they can now choose from hundreds of retailers.

“And because we appreciate all of our customers, old and new, we have expanded the scheme to reward our new customers as well as the existing ones who are making the referrals.”

E.ON Next’s new scheme has been launched in collaboration with its new referral partner, MentionMe.

To be eligible, all existing customers have to do it simply sign up to the scheme.

There are some strings attached though.

To be eligible for the voucher, the new customer must transfer from another supplier and sign up to through the existing customer’s unique MentionMe link.

Customers can make up to five referrals a day, with an overall total of 25 referrals each year.

Which means that both the customer and friends could be better off to the tune of £2,500.

Last month, millions of households were urged to apply for free energy grants worth up to £1,700.

Families who have fallen behind on their gas and electricity bills qualify for help through a little-known fund.

The British Gas Individual and Families Fund is open to prepayment meter customers who are in up to £1,700 worth of energy debt.

If you can’t get help through British Gas’ Individual and Families Fund, you might be able to knock money off your energy bill through the Household Support Fund.

The fund is a giant £742million pot of money that’s been shared between councils in England.

These local authorities are now distributing their share of the fund and can set their own eligibility criteria.

That means what you’re entitled to depends based on where you live, but you will likely qualify for help if you’re on benefits or a low income, and may be able to get energy vouchers or cash.

Speak to your local council about what help is on offer. You can find your nearest by visiting – www.gov.uk/find-local-council.

Depending on what benefits you’re on, you might be eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment, the Warm Home Discount or a Cold Weather Payment too.

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GREGGS’ sausage roll is being honoured with its own wax figure at Madame Tussauds. 

The iconic savoury treat’s effigy will be unveiled at the attraction for National Sausage Roll day next week. 

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It will be displayed on a regal blue velvet cushion, sitting on a plinth and accompanied by a plaque, which salutes the “significant contribution it delivers to Britain’s culinary heritage”. 

For a limited time, it will take its place alongside the likes of William Shakespeare, Sir David Attenborough and Stormzy at the London wax museum’s Culture Capital zone, dedicated to those who have shaped Britain. 

Greggs chief exec Roisin Currie said: “Seeing our sausage roll receive the celebrity treatment is a proud and slightly surreal moment for all of us at Greggs.” 

The model snack was crafted at Madame Tussauds’ London studio following the same process used for human figures. 

Artists spent hours ensuring it was correct in every detail. 

The plaque notes Greggs was founded in 1951 — and that 365million of its sausage rolls, each with 96 layers of flaky pastry, are bought every year. 

It is the first time that an individual food item has been so honoured at the attraction. 

Jo Kinsey, studio manager at Madame Tussauds London, said: “The Greggs sausage roll is synonymous with British culture — we just had to put it in our Culture Zone. 

“Our artists have put in numerous hours to capture every detail. The pressure was on to capture it perfectly because we know how passionate Brits are about their favourite pastry.” 

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A SERIAL thief has been barred from every Greggs in England and Wales after repeatedly targeting the same bakery in a shameless crime spree.

Patrick Verry, 33, is now forbidden from entering any of the high street baker’s hundreds of branches following a court order brought by the Met Police.

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He was caught in the act last week by officers inside a Greggs shop in Wood Green, North London, after striking the location seven times.

Verry was arrested on the spot and brought before Highbury Magistrates’ Court the following day, where he admitted to six counts of theft from the same Greggs store.

Police described him as one of the capital’s “most prolific shoplifters” — and now he’s banned from every Greggs outlet across the country in a move to protect staff and customers.

The order comes as part of a new Met Police blitz on retail crime amid soaring shoplifting rates nationwide.

Chief Inspector Rav Pathania, the Met’s retail crime lead, said: “The Met is focused on tackling the most prolific shoplifters like Verry.

“They cause fear to retail workers and their offending has a negative impact on communities.”

He continued: “We continue to work with local business owners to investigate reports of shoplifting, understand concerns and use different tactics to crackdown, including targeted operations and regular patrols.”

The ban on Verry comes as The Sun lifts the lid on the true scale of the shoplifting crisis crippling British high streets.

Our undercover investigation found Greggs shops across the country being stripped of stock in broad daylight, with some stores experiencing a theft every 20 minutes.

At one busy location in South London, a thief was seen stuffing doughnuts and drinks into his pockets before barging past staff and walking out unfazed.

In another shocking clip filmed in Tooting, a brave female Greggs manager tried to stop a thief who was carrying several bottles of Coca-Cola.

She shouted: “You’re not having all of that,” as the crook tried to leave.

He coolly replied: “Yeah I’m walking out with them, watch me.”

Customers looked on in silence, too scared to step in. A witness said: “There were two grown men just stood by the tills.

“Everyone was just silent.

“No one said a word. People are just afraid now.”

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The Met later confirmed it was not alerted to the Tooting incident, which happened in August, highlighting just how many shoplifting cases go unreported.

Our reporters saw similar scenes play out in branches from Newcastle to Brighton, with thieves helping themselves to hot food, drinks and sandwiches without even trying to hide it.

In Stockwell, South London, one man was caught on camera filling his coat with products before grabbing two boxes of jam doughnuts worth £3 each and fleeing during the lunchtime rush.

In Worthing, West Sussex, two men repeatedly walked in and out of Greggs helping themselves to hot food from the display cabinets.

On Brighton’s Queen’s Road, one crook walked off with two trays of wedges in front of a stunned staff member. “Average day,” the employee said when asked about it.

Minutes later, another thief ran out with two trays of wedges and a sandwich, while yet another masked man sprinted off carrying food as helpless staff shouted after him.

In Southampton, a man entered just after midday, grabbed four hot food items and said: “Sorry guys, I’m homeless, I need to eat,” before walking straight out the door.

In many cases, Greggs staff are told not to intervene directly with thieves for safety reasons.

One insider told us: “They’ve been told not to chase anyone, not to engage. It’s heartbreaking for the team.”

Astonishingly, just 350 people have been prosecuted for stealing from Greggs in the last six months.

Of those, only 111 received immediate or suspended jail time — and most had long criminal records.

Greggs has started introducing extra security measures in stores hit hardest by crime.

That includes removing self-serve fridges, placing chilled food behind the till, and trialling bouncers in some branches.

One staff member said: “It’s like we’re on the front line. You’re trying to sell sausage rolls but you’re looking over your shoulder constantly.”

Greggs boss Roisin Currie confirmed the company is now using facial recognition technology to catch thieves and pass images to police.

“We’ve now got a system where we can take photos of people committing theft on the shop floor and that then instantly goes to the police,” she told The Sun.

The bakery chain is also investing in body cameras for workers and running trials with a 24-hour shoplifting helpline.

A Greggs spokeswoman said: “Shoplifting is an industry-wide issue and we take it extremely seriously.

The safety of our colleagues and customers remains our absolute priority.”

Politicians have backed The Sun’s investigation.

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “This is an important and timely investigation from The Sun, exposing just how bad the shoplifting epidemic has become.

“There has to be consequences for this appalling criminality.”

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson added: “Retail workers should never feel unsafe at work. That is why we’re taking robust action to tackle shop theft and protect workers.”

She confirmed new laws are coming under the government’s Crime and Policing Bill, which will create a specific offence for assaulting shop staff and scrap the £200 threshold that previously gave low-level shoplifters “effective immunity.”

Meanwhile, the Met has released dramatic new footage showing suspects sprinting from stores clutching bottles, sandwiches and snacks as part of a wider crackdown on repeat retail offenders.

And police chiefs say they’re not stopping with Verry, more bans could be coming for other prolific shoplifters as efforts ramp up to restore order on Britain’s battered high streets.

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GREGGS has launched its summer menu for 2025 and it includes a new bake and biscuit-inspired iced latte that fans will go crazy for.

The high street favourite has added a wave of new options to its shelves, with new spicy chicken sandwiches, summer drinks and sweet treats joining the line-up.

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Available in shops nationwide from tomorrow, May 15, the new menu includes a Red Pepper, Feta & Spinach Bake, which has already been dubbed “lush” by excited followers on Instagram.

The Mediterranean-style pastry will cost £2.10.

For coffee lovers, the new Caramelised Biscuit Latte is proving to be the star of the show.

Available hot from £2.75 or iced from £3.10, it’s inspired by the popular Lotus Biscoff biscuit.

Greggs has also upped its hot sandwich offering, introducing a new Korean Chicken range.

It features a Korean Crispy Chicken Burger from £4, a BBQ Chicken Wrap from £3.80, and a Spicy Korean BBQ Chicken Baguette from £3.60 – all part of its Hot Sandwich, Wedges & Drink Deal.

A new Chicken, Sweetcorn and Red Onion Pizza slice is also joining the menu, priced from £2.40, available as part of Greggs’ after-4pm Pizza Deal.

On the sweeter side, there’s a Lemon Meringue Muffin from £1.55, which can be paired with a hot drink in a meal deal.

Customers can also pick up Plenish wellness shots, with Ginger Immunity and Turmeric Recovery options both priced at £1.55 and a fat-free Greek Style Yogurt with Strawberry Compote, priced from £1.55.

The new menu is available for in-store purchase, click and collect via the Greggs app, and delivery through Just Eat and Uber Eats.

Greggs posted the announcement online with the caption: “Babe wake up, Greggs summer menu just dropped!!”

Fans shared their excitement for the new menu.

One customer wrote: “That biscuit latte looks so good”, others agreed saying: “the latte looks amazing”.

A third said: “could really go for that lemon muffin”.

Whilst another added: “need that chicken sandwich, yum”.

But not everyone is thrilled by the new launch.

Comments were quickly flooded with complaints from fans asking where the vegan options were.

“This is so disappointing, where’s the vegan stuff?” one user asked.

Another added: “Give the vegans what they want for gods sake.”

It seems fans still haven’t recovered from the Vegan Steak Bake being axed from menus last year.

Customers were hoping the veganuary menu signalled a long-term commitment to expanding Greggs’ vegan offering, but many have been left disappointed by its absence from the summer launch.

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