Greggs festive bake: date the popular Christmas pasty will return to stores - and if a vegan version will be available

The Greggs festive bake is one of the most highly-anticipated Christmas treats in the UK, but when will it be made available this year?

Here’s everything we know so far.

What is in the Greggs festive bake?

The Festive Bake consists of pieces of chicken breast, sage and onion stuffing, and sweetcure bacon in a sage and cranberry sauce - all encased within a puff pastry exterior.

When is it coming to stores?

Each festive season, the eagerly-anticipated and aptly named festive bake comes to stores for a limited amount of time.

This year, the festive bake will return to Greggs branches on Thursday 5 November 2020, which is two days earlier than last year's release date.

Greggs took to Twitter on 22 October, simply writing, “2 weeks”, alongside an image of the popular pasty.

A Greggs spokesperson said, “2020 has been strange, to say the least. We’re trying to bring back a little taste of normal, one bake at a time. After all, what’s more normal than your favourite Greggs order?

"Our much anticipated Festive Bake is back on the menu in November, so aside from all the uncertainty we’re pleased our customers can have a little something they look forward to.”

What else is on the Greggs festive menu?

At the moment, it is not yet known what other festive treats will appear on the menu this Christmas, but the festive bake is definitely making a return.

What did fans of the festive bake have to say?

Fans of the festive bake were rejoiced to learn that the Christmas treat will soon be hitting stores.

One wrote on Twitter, “This is just what the nation needs to give it a lift.”

Another customer tweeted, “A thing of beauty...the countdown to Christmas can begin.”

Someone else added, “Omg our prayers have been answered. 2020 has been saved.”

Will there be a vegan or vegetarian version of the Greggs festive bake?

Numerous Greggs fans have called for the bakery to release a vegan version of its festive bake, like the chain has done by adding vegan versions of both its staple sausage roll and steak bake to the menu.

However, the bakery has not said if this year will see a vegan or vegetarian version of the festive bake go on sale, and has only revealed the release date of the original meat bake.

One customer wrote on Twitter, “Please tell me there will be a vegan/vegetarian option of this amazing Christmas favourite. I’m gonna cry if I can’t have at least one little piece of this in my life.”

Another said, “Time for a vegan version surely. You’ve cracked the market!”

“Please tell us there’s going to be a veggie/vegan version this year? That might actually save 2020,” wrote another customer.