An Open Letter To Greggs From Reader Andy Tillett
Dear Greggs the Bakers,
I am writing to you regarding your outlet on Kentish Town High Street, London, NW5. I’ve been a mug for too long, and today (27.02.13) it must stop.
During the five years I have been working in Kentish Town, I have frequented this shop many, many times. I find the staff to be amiable and friendly, but the baked goods particularly substandard. I have lived in London long enough not only to put up with, but to expect, readymade food outlets to vend substandard quality product, but the repeated sale of cold Steak Bakes, Chicken Slices and Cornish Pasties at this Greggs has gone too far.
Today I told the gentleman behind the till I did not want to buy the last remaining Steak Bake if it was cold, as it has been on countless occasions before from this particular Greggs outlet (I asked seven of my colleagues and they backed me up, they’re almost always cold, two have stopped eating at Greggs for this reason). He assured me it was warm, picked it up with pincers, put it in a bag and £1.35 later I was on my merry way. Back at the office I was confronted with a stone cold-to-the-touch lump of pastry, with hardly any meat or gravy in it. It wasn’t pleasant to eat. My treat for the day (I usually eat soup or salad for lunch, and allow myself few deviations from the plan, this was one) was ruined. I thought about taking it back to the shop, queuing again, and being served, most likely, a slightly warmer pasty – wasting another 20 mins round trip of my lunch hour – but really, what would be the point?
So that’s why I’m writing. You are a proud northern company. I hail from the fair city of Derby where after having switched from Don Miller’s Hot Bred Kitchen, I have enjoyed many (and cheaper) piping hot Greggs’ products. Perhaps the problem in Kentish town is due to the fact you have a shop with no door? The place is exposed to the elements come rain or shine, so cold gusts can flow right in and turn the pasties from mouth-watering baked fancies into cold lumps of brittle stodge. Perhaps a baked goods cabinet with glass both sides and a sliding door – which could keep the heat in – would be a good idea? Or maybe the staff, as lovely as they are, could do with a little extra training on how to bake and sell the goods? Either way, I cannot go on like this and will not be buying any more goods from any Greggs bakery (a sign of solidarity) until I receive satisfactory response.
Good day,
Andy Tillett @andytillet
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7 thoughts on “Pinboard: Kentish Town Road is Going Green. Plus – A Reader vs Greggs!”
£1.35 your answer lies there. A quality product at the right temperature with pleasant service is not possible at that price. We need to start realising that food is to cheap. You’ll be complaining about the meat quality and extra ingredients used next.
C’mon Andy, it’s Greggs – what were you expecting??
I like cold pies. otherwise there’s a chance they might dry out a bit
If they’re left in a hot cabinet too long
Also if they’re too hot there’s the chance of scalding the roof of your mouth thus ruining the enjoyment of your bake/pie/pasty. long live cold pies!
Why is this even published? A moan about a £1.35 “steak” pastry?
What a ridiculous middle class pile of tosh.
Firstly, could you not tell through the paper bag that it was cold?? Perhaps it was warm in the shop but after a 10 minute walk with it it had gone cold??
But anyways, if you go to Greggs as much as you make out you’ll know they don’t sell “hot food”, they sell freshly baked food that is hot to start with and then cools off. If they intentionally kept it hot it’d be liable to VAT. Remember that hoo-ha in last year’s budget??
Perhaps ask your office to buy a microwave??
I wish my problems were as trivial as this.