CORONAVIRUS: DOORS REOPEN FOR PASTRY FANS Bake in business...return of a high street favourite
LIKE millions of across Britain, it first bite.
A rich, meaty gravy, oozing like molten lava from a flaky pastry case. I can’t remember how old I was when I first tried one, but it was heaven, and mine has been a life of pie ever since.
So, when the ubiquitous high street pastry emporium Greggs threw open its doors for the first time in three months yesterday, I was front of the queue.
Coronavirus has wrecked so many aspects of our lives, but forcing baked goods’ aficionados like me to endure three months of cold turkey has been cruel.
In future years we will look back at this date and surely honour the anniversary: June 18 – the day civilisation finally returned to the high street.
While others might have constructively used lockdown to perfect a skill, exercise more or live a little cleaner, there has only been one thing on my mind.
There’s been something missing from lockdown lunches – a notable absence of warm meat, grease and golden flaky pastry.
Thankfully, Newcastle-based hot food giant Greggs opened around 800 of its stores yesterday after non-essential shops were allowed to start trading.
Quite why the outlet was considered non-essential is beyond me, but it meant a sizeable chunk of its 2,050 stores welcomed starving punters back.
Praise be, the rest are to reopen next month.
Throughout the pandemic Greggs’ 25,000 staff have all received full pay, a gesture not lost on those at the branch I rushed to yesterday who couldn’t sing their bosses’ praises highly enough.
Returning to work meant they could finally start to fuel the country again as the economy slowly flickers back to life.
The bakery sells 1.5 million sausage rolls a week and last year launched a phenomenally successful vegan version.
Yesterday I muscled my way into its shop on Lewisham high street, south east London, to release more than 100 days of frustration.
Although it was operating a limother foodies was love at
ited menu, alongside me salivating workmen, paramedics, businessmen, OAPs and children were all desperate to get their hands on a cheap, hot meal.
Quite frankly, you can keep your green-looking power lunches, protein shakes and low carb diets – this is the food that built Britain. Good, honest, fare.
Like a conquering hero returning from exile I was welcomed inside and could smell exactly what I wanted: a couple of sausage rolls, steak bake, chicken slice and cheese and onion bake. Lip-smackingly delicious. And where else could you get that fill for under a tenner?
Branch manager Sandra Nicholson, 57, said: “We opened at 9am and they were queuing round the block to get their hands on our best sellers – sausage rolls and vegan sausage rolls.
“It’s been pretty miserable recently but this has given people a boost – and it’s a sure sign things are starting to get back to normal.”
I’ll eat to that.