DIE-HARD Greggs fans have been spotted queuing into the early hours of this morning to get their hands on the new vegan steak bake.
Video footage shows dozens of people lining the streets of Newcastle at the official midnight launch of the meat-free and dairy-free snack.
According to the Chronicle Live, two bouncers were seen on the doors of the Grainger Street branch as fans waited to try the new pastry.
The first person to arrive at the store was superfan Danni Deloncho, 23, of Durham, who reportedly started queuing from 6pm the previous day.
Pictures from the launch show the vegan steak bake presented in a yellow and black box to the first 200 people at the Newcastle store.
This was the only midnight launch arranged by Greggs and we’ve yet to see queues like this elsewhere in the UK.
It’s also not clear if customers were invited to the event, or if anyone could turn up.
We’ve asked Greggs for more information and we’ll update this article when we know more.
Meanwhile, the first verdicts for the vegan steak bake have started to drop on social media.
One person said: “It was nice but could do with a bit more seasoning – a bit of salt and pepper.”
While another customer said: “The Greggs vegan steak bake is really good! Tastes just like the normal one.”
The vegan steak bake launched today following months of teasing from Greggs.
Rumours hit a peak at the end of last month after a label for the meat-free steak bake was spotted in one store.
Instead of steak, the bake is filled with Quorn pieces, diced onion and a vegan-friendly gravy.
Like Greggs‘ other treats, the filling is tucked inside 96-layer puff pastry that doesn’t contain butter or eggs – but one crucial difference is that it hasn’t been glazed.
Greggs pastries usually have a glaze made from milk powder, which wouldn’t be suitable for dairy-free vegans.
The gravy used in the bake is also made from vegan steak seasoning, onion powder, spice extracts, vegan friendly flavourings and water.
Priced at £1.55, it costs 5p more than its meat alternative, which is £1.50 – although prices do vary by store.
The vegan steak bake also has fewer calories.
The meat-free option contains 380 calories compared to the 408 calories in a classic steak bake.
The new pastry will be available in 1,300 shops from today before being rolled out into a further 700 stores on January 16.
Greggs fans will be having high hopes for the snack after the success of the vegan sausage roll, which launched in January 2019.
One Greggs shopper told us how he got £37 worth of Greggs food for £12 at a Greggs outlet store.
Meanwhile, Greggs’ secret menu includes stotties, empire biscuits and Tottenham cakes – but they’re not in every branch.
Did you manage to try the Greggs festive bake before it disappeared from shops?
