Meet the fast food chain that beat McDonald's and Subway in the UK by selling sausage rolls

Greggs is a hit with both traditional and vegetarian sausage rolls Reproduction/Instagram

Known for its low prices, Greggs is a fast food chain popular among the British for its sausage rolls. As stated therein Business Insider, the brand already has around 2,500 stores in the United Kingdom. The number is higher than that of major competitors: nearly a thousand units more than McDonald's, which had 1,436 restaurants by the end of 2023, and a few hundred more than Subway with 2,200.

Founded 80 years ago in Newcastle, England, the company began with the mission of providing fresh eggs and yeast to local families. Over time, the business started selling bread and sweets, and a decade after its establishment, it started opening other units.

“Our menu has also changed to suit British tastes. “Long-time Greggs fans may even remember the old days before the much-discussed vegan sausage roll,” the company says on its official website.

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Following the success of the Parsley Roll, which sold around 2.5 million units in 2016, Greggs introduced a vegetarian version of the snack in 2019. The product maintains the original puff pastry, but uses fungal microproteins to mimic sausage. According to Business Insider, the unit costs £1.45 (roughly R$9).

The brand's success among the British led the company to launch a clothing collection featuring the company's logo and sausage roll designs along with hats, bags, shorts, shoes and underwear.

The collection is in collaboration with Primark – Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

In 2023, the company reported profits of £167.7 million, according to data from Business Insider.

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