By now we’re sure you’ve heard the news that Greggs is launching a Vegan Steak Bake.
Perhaps you heard the rumblings of Piers Morgan’s anguished screams, or you were witness to the massive queues to sample the meat-free creation in Newcastle this morning.
Now that you know of the Vegan Steak Bake’s existence, your next question must surely be: well, what’s it like, then?
Never fear, for you do not have to venture to your nearest Greggs under the risk of this pasty not meeting expectations. We here at Metro.co.uk have done the important work of getting hold of the first Vegan Steak Bakes on the market, biting into them, and sharing our thoughts.
Ready? Here are the key talking points.
How the Greggs Vegan Steak Bake looks:
The first thing you’ll notice about the Vegan Steak Bake is the difference in the lines on its pastry exterior. While the regular Steak Bake has diagonal cuts going across it, the veggie version has horizontal lines.
This is a handy way to check you’re eating the vegan version, much in the same way as the vegan sausage roll’s slightly different markings to the vegan version help you spot the difference.
You’ll also spot that the Vegan Steak Bake has a slightly paler pastry, lacking the yellow glaze and sheen of the meat version’s egg yolk brushed on top.
Beyond that, it looks much like your standard Greggs pasty.
What does the Greggs Vegan Steak Bake taste like?
Okay, on to the important bit.
Does the Vegan Steak Bake taste good? Absolutely. It’s a delightful treat.
Does it taste exactly like the original Steak Bake? That’s where things get a bit more complicated.
The main difference – aside from the lack of actual animal products – seems to be that the Vegan Steak Bake uses a Quorn mince, rather than large meaty chunks.
Jessica Lindsay, who is not vegan, said: ‘I think it tasted more like a minced beef type thing. But was genuinely tasty and a good alternative.’
Natalie Morris, who’s not usually vegan but is doing Veganuary, said: ‘The ‘steak’ bits were too small and didn’t really taste meaty enough. It kind of tasted like gravy and onions in pastry. Which isn’t bad… but just not mind-blowing.’
As a veggie who’s never had the original Steak Bake, I personally don’t have much to compare the Vegan Steak Bake to… but I liked it. It definitely is softer and more mince-like than I was expecting, but it has a hearty meatiness to it regardless, with a great ratio of gravy to Quorn to onion to pastry. As always with Greggs items, the pastry is a flaky joy.
I would say I’m far more a fan of the Vegan Sausage Roll, but I would happily buy this despite never previously having a particular desire for a mince and gravy pasty. So, yeah, good.
If you hate onions and gravy, you probably won’t like this. If you like both those things, you will like this. Simple.
And Chris Rickett, who has enjoyed many a Steak Bake, gave the vegan version a positive rating, offering a thumbs up after taking a large bite.
He said: ‘Everything that made the original good is also good here. The gravy to pastry ratio, the never ending flake.
‘But as a meat eater the real question I’m here to answer is how close to steak does Greggs’ vegan alternative taste?
‘Pretty darn close, in fact. Greggs, you’ve done it again. You haven’t reinvented the wheel, but you’ve made a nice functional replica of a wheel… using fermented fungus.’
The official verdict: Those trying Veganuary or keen to reduce their meat intake could happily swap their usual Steak Bake for the Vegan Steak Bake without feeling they were missing out, while longterm vegans and veggies now have another fast food option to choose from. A win all round.
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