GREGGS sausage rolls are a lunchtime favourite across the country.
But after the price of the popular pastry went up to £1.20 The Sun decided to put DIY versions to the test.
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I took on the task of tasting a range of sausage rolls you can pick up from supermarket freezer aisles.
Just pop them in the oven and you can get an almost homemade version of Greggs and for a fraction of the cost.
But do they really stand up to the original?
I compared the price, taste and the all important sausage to pastry ratio – here are the results.
Greggs
- £1.20 – £1.45 per roll
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The original Greggs sausage roll fresh from the oven is hard to beat.
There’s just flaky enough pastry surrounding the sausage which has the perfect texture – not too hard and not too soft.
The meat filling also combines the best blend of seasoning for a tasty flavour that’s neither bland or overpowering.
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I think it’s fair to say that like many other food fans, the Greggs’ own sausage roll will always hold a place in my heart – it’s what the brand is best at.
A single sausage roll will set you back around £1.20 but prices can vary by location.
In some parts of London you’ll have to fork out as much as £1.45.
Greggs sets the standard when it comes to taste – the original is best.
But I had to mark the original down on value as several supermarkets offer far cheaper options.
- Taste: 9/10
- Value: 5/10
- Sausage to pastry ratio: 8/10
- Total score: 22/30
Lidl
- £1.15, 28p per roll
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Discount supermarket Lidl offers a pack of four frozen sausage rolls for £1.15.
That’s just 28p per snack and a whopping saving of 92p compared to Greggs.
Four for less than the price of one Greggs sausage roll is pretty impressive and this came joint second on price.
It didn’t standout taste-wise as much as others, and there was more pastry than sausage roll, rather than an equal balance.
But at this price it landed only two points behind the real Greggs overall.
- Taste: 7/10
- Value: 7/10
- Sausage to pastry ratio: 6/10
- Total score: 20/30
Aldi
- £1.15, 28p per roll
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Another bargain supermarket is Aldi, which sells a pack of four frozen sausage rolls for £1.15.
That’s the same price as Lidl and so a similar saving compared to buying Greggs.
Again like Lidl’s there was a decent taste, but it didn’t blow me away. The ratio was also more in favour of pastry.
Shoppers wondering whether to choose between Aldi and Lidl will be pleased to find their sausage rolls scored exactly the same, and either would be a decent purchase.
- Taste: 7/10
- Value: 7/10
- Sausage to pastry ratio: 6/10
- Total score: 20/30
Asda
- £1.05, 26p per roll
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Asda’s sausage rolls cost just £1.05 for a four pack.
That’s better than the discount supermarkets and the cheapest of the lot.
These sausage rolls scored top for value but also packed a punch for taste.
It melted in the mouth with flaky pastry and a satisfying centre and I found them just as good as Greggs.
That’s why overall they came out the winner, even beating the classic Greggs pastry.
- Taste: 8/10
- Value: 9/10
- Sausage to pastry ratio: 8/10
- Total score: 25/30
Pukka
- £2.75, 68p per roll
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Famous for its pies and other pastry delights, I had to give Pukka’s sausage rolls a go too.
Shoppers can get a pack of four from Tesco for £2.75.
You don’t get as much bang for your buck as the Pukka rolls are pricier and smaller.
The pastry was light and fluffy while the meat was packed with flavour and gave Greggs a run for its money too. But I’d probably need two.
- Taste: 7/10
- Value: 4/10
- Sausage to pastry ratio: 8/10
- Total score: 19/30
Iceland (Greggs)
- £3, 75p per roll
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Iceland sells frozen sausage rolls that are actually made by Greggs.
The supermarket sells a selection of frozen items from the famous baker in fact including its famous steak bakes too.
But at £3, these are the priciest of the bunch, albeit for four of them, so still cheaper than fresh.
When it comes to taste these are hard to tell from the original considering it’s out of a box.
For anyone who can’t go without their Greggs this could be a good money-saving option.
But you can still get cheaper elsewhere and similar quality without the brand name.
- Taste: 9/10
- Value: 3/10
- Sausage to pastry ratio: 7/10
- Total score: 19/30
Morrisons
- £1.75, 43p per roll
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A pack of Morrisons sausage rolls costs £1.75 for four.
That works out cheaper than a single Greggs for each, but other supermarkets offer cheaper ones.
But the sausage to pastry ratio wasn’t as good as the classic – there was more pastry than sausage.
This was the most disappointing of the supermarket own-brand versions.
While the taste wasn’t bad it was pricier than Aldi, Asda and Lidl.
- Taste: 7/10
- Value: 6/10
- Sausage to pastry ratio: 6/10
- Total score: 19/30
The verdict
Overall, the Greggs staple sausage roll is, and will always be, impressive.
I didn’t think that any frozen supermarket version could hold a torch to the original and best.
But I had a big surprise with Asda’s based on the price and quality, which is why it came out on top.
I wouldn’t turn any of the supermarket sausage rolls down though.
Pukka, Greggs from Iceland and Morrisons scored lowest but still managed a very respectable 19 out of 30.
Anyone trying to cut costs could save cash by switching from fresh Greggs to any of these frozen ones without compromising on taste.
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