From the low prices to the quick service, there’s a lot to like about British bakery chain Greggs.
But, according to one former employee, it’s not all health and happiness inside the popular cafes.
Writing on Reddit, a former employee alleged that on hot days there have ‘definitely been flies on the pasties’.
Sadly for fans of Greggs, that wasn’t the only bombshell.
The former employee added: ‘The potato wedges are just McCain’s spiced wedges – we pour them out from a massive bag of them.’
And for those who look forward to a warm sausage, bean and cheese melt on a winter’s day, there’s even more bad news.
The ex-worker said: ‘This will ruin sausage and bean for you – it’s not a mix of sausage and bean. there’s four sausages in every past – one set in each corner – and then they put the beans in.’
But while there’s no disputing that these are potentially damaging claims, the former employee also highlighted how the chain enforces strict hygiene standards, something which is likely to boost its reputation.
When a fellow Reddit user who also claimed to have worked at the chain commented that ‘staff were only told to wash their hands at the start and end of their shift,’ the original poster was quick to explain how their experience was completely different.
‘Didn’t get that on the hand washing though,’ said the ex-worker.
‘It was drilled into us so much that some people would end up with cracked hands.’
It comes after another Greggs employee revealed why sausage and bean melts aren’t always hot.
‘Because it’s not actually under a hot counter, so when it comes out the oven it’s going to get cold, you have to get there at the right time!’
One commenter joked ‘That implies there’s a period where they’re warm but anyone who’s eaten one know they come either stone cold or molten hot. Something’s up here and OP (original poster) is covering for big pastry.’
The best way to guarantee you’ll get a hot pastry straight out of the oven is to turn up at opening time – and if you don’t turn up at the right time it’s usually only a short wait until a new batch are baked.
In June, FEMAIL revealed how Greggs staff use a secret code in order to tell which pastries are which.
Food critic Grace Dent went inside the popular bakeries headquarters to discover the secrets behind the tasty sausage rolls and popular melts, and how they went from local Newcastle legends to multi-billion pound Great British behemoth.
For the show, which aired on Channel 5, Grace also headed to a Newcastle store to learn what it’s like to work behind the counter of the popular bakery.
There, she discovered the ‘code’ that staff use to tell which pastry is which on the store counter.
As the labels are facing out, towards the customer, staff have to be able to identify the pastry by just looking at it.
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
