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The Golden Flake Tavern: Greggs’ Bold New Move
What is it?
Greggs, the iconic UK bakery chain famed for sausage rolls, steak bakes, and other comfort food staples, has launched its first ever pub — The Golden Flake Tavern. It’s located inside the Fenwick department store in Newcastle. The pub opens 27 September 2025 and will run for about five months, closing around mid-February 2026.
What’s On Offer
Greggs and Fenwick have gone all in with a pub concept that leans heavily on Greggs’ bakery roots, but with more traditional pub trimmings. Some of the highlights:
• Menu “twists” on pub classics: steak bake mixed grill, chicken bake parmo, sausage roll & mash, Greggs ploughman’s platter.
• Sunday carvery with a bake (steak, chicken or cheese & onion) as the centrepiece, alongside roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, cauliflower cheese, etc.
• Desserts such as yum yum bread & butter pudding, pink jammie trifle (using doughnut pieces, jam, custard, cream)
• Drinks get a Greggs spin too: a cocktail menu inspired by bakery items (e.g. Spiced Caramel Doughnut Old Fashioned), plus two exclusive beers brewed in collaboration with Full Circle Brew Co: Pink Jammie Pale Ale and Gosforth 1939 Stottie Lager.
• Atmosphere & extras: space for ~88 diners, quiz nights on Tuesdays (tickets about £5 for up to six people), bar seating etc.
Why Some Are Shocked by Prices
While much of the media coverage has focused on the novelty and menu innovation, there are a few reasons people are surprised or critical of pricing:
1. Expectations vs Reality
Greggs is traditionally seen as a “cheap eat” or takeaway bakery. Customers used to sausage rolls for under £1 or modest-priced bakery fare might find pub prices quite a bit higher. The Golden Flake Tavern is playing in a different league: sit-down pub + cocktails + exclusive beers + premium sides. Naturally, that brings higher menu prices.
2. Premium Experience Costs
The collaboration with Fenwick, a department store, and the special beers/cocktails, curated desserts etc., all add cost. The decor, staff, drink licence, bespoke cocktails, and so on likely contribute to a more expensive offering. It’s no longer just a grab-and-go bake.
3. “Novelty Premium”
People often pay more when something is new or special. The Golden Flake is leveraging Greggs’ brand, nostalgia, and “first ever pub” status. This tends to allow for higher markups. Some customers may bristle at paying for that premium.
4. Lack of Transparency in Some Prices
Many announcements list menu items, but fewer have listed exact prices (or detailed prices for all dishes/drinks). That can make it harder for customers to judge whether something is “worth it” until they inspect the menu in person. Sometimes, when actual prices are revealed, they seem high relative to what people expect from Greggs.
What We Know (and Don’t Know) about Specific Prices
• The ticket price for quiz nights is £5 for teams of up to 6 people. That works out to under £1 per person if the team is full.
• No fully published menu with all prices (as of available sources at time of writing) shows everything. Some “headline” stories mention menu items but not all their prices.
• Some media outlets have said that the Sunday roast centerpiece (the bake) is priced around £17.50. For example, News Minimalist mentions: “Sunday roast featuring steak, chicken, or cheese and onion bakes with traditional trimmings for £17.50.”
• If that number is accurate, people may feel it’s steep compared to a “normal Sunday roast” (outside of special venues) or what they expect from Greggs.
Public Perception & Potential Backlash
• Curiosity & excitement: Many people are enthusiastic. Greggs has a large loyal following, and the idea of a pub that uses bakery staples in new ways is seen as fun, playful, and a novelty worth trying.
• Pushback on value: Others are critical. Some feel the menu items are being overpriced; that charging pub menu prices for Greggs items undermines what made Greggs popular in the first place — affordability, speed, simplicity.
• Comparison with “traditional pubs”: People will compare what they pay here vs what they can get elsewhere in terms of quantity, quality, ambience. If the pricing difference doesn’t feel justified (in food portions or service), that may hurt the perception.
• Risk of alienating regular Greggs customers: If someone who loves Greggs’ everyday offerings walks in expecting “Greggs value” and finds prices well above their expectations, that could be jarring.
Is It Fair? What’s the Balance?
There are a few arguments in favour of what Greggs is doing, and counterpoints worth considering.
For:
• It’s a pop-up/limited time venture. Novelty and exclusivity naturally command premium pricing.
• The cost base is different: staffed pub, more complex dishes, drinks (especially cocktails), décor and licensing. These costs are higher than in a typical Greggs shop.
• For those wanting the experience — a bakery twist pub, fun cocktails etc. — they may see it as value for money.
Against:
• If price points are too far removed from customer expectations, the novelty may not sustain repeat visits.
• Customers may feel let down if portions don’t match price, or if the “Greggs feel” doesn’t come through in value.
• High pricing could risk coming across as gimmicky rather than a serious long-term pub competition.
Conclusion
The Golden Flake Tavern is an ambitious, headline-grabbing move by Greggs. It plays on nostalgia, innovation, and the bakery’s brand strengths, but the higher prices are unmistakable. Whether those prices are “shocking” depends a lot on what customers assume going in — and whether the food, drink, service, and atmosphere match the elevated price tag.
Attached is a news article regarding Greggs first ever pub
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/pint-steak-bake-first-greggs-pub/
Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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