Greggs is all but a household name across the North East, with no doubt thousands upon thousands of hungry punters flooding the doors of branches across the region each lunchtime for a hot savoury snack.
And it's easy to see why - with superb staples like the classic sausage roll and the humble steak bake complementing the ever-growing menu of the bakers, originally founded in 1939.
But did you know that there are some items which you simply can't get in store?
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Greggs has had a standing collaboration with Iceland and The Food Warehouse for a number of years now, with the supermarket flogging frozen, bake at home versions of some Greggs classics - but they also have a number of items which simply aren't stocked in store at the fast food giant.
So when I was browsing the aisles of my local Iceland recently, and I spotted the 'Limited Edition Nacho Chilli Cheese Bakes', curiosity struck. I'm a big fan of Greggs, and I would say that I visit the place maybe once a week for lunch - but I had never seen these products stocked on the hot shelves at the counter.
Maybe I missed the promotion, or they're a seasonal item, but I can't ever remember spotting them. So I decided to give them ago, rushing to the tills with a box of two in hand, before heading home to cook them up.
Here's what I thought.
Greggs Nacho Chilli Cheese Bakes - (Pack of two/318g)
Price - £3.00
Now I've tried my fair share of Iceland's frozen Greggs products in the past, and they solemn disappoint - so I certainly went into this one with high hopes. Iceland describes the product on its site as: "Golden puff pastry filled with sweet potato, roasted vegetables, mixed beans, quinoa and jalapeños, in a Mexican-style cheese flavoured sauce, topped with a cheese & nacho crumb."
Now if that doesn't get the mouth watering, I really don't know what will...
However, it is apparent that not everyone feels the same way about the product, according to reviews on the very same page. One left a one star review, writing: "Wouldn’t buy again!!" while another, added: "Didnt taste of anything .. not often I bin anything , but I just couldn't eat it."
If there's anything that writing culinary reviews for Chronicle Live has taught me though, it's that everyone has an opinion - and not everyone will agree with your personal tastes or preferences. And that's fine, as the only person's opinion which matters to oneself should be their own.
I cracked on.
Out of the box, the pasties look a little pale, which is expected considering they're not yet cooked, minus a brushing of what seems to be chilli cheese crumb. The box states that the bakes should be cooked in the oven at 200C for 32 minutes, so I cooked them accordingly.
After half an hour or so, I went downstairs to check on how the goods were coming on and presto, they looked about ready to come out - chilli cheese sauce bursting onto the baking tray and all.
Out of the oven, they came up a gorgeous golden brown, with a hardened cheese crust around the edges. Smell-wise, they had a very strong scent of nacho cheese to them, and a hint of spice - which is always a good thing. I cut them in half corner to corner and inspected the cross section further.
Filling wise, I'll say that Greggs/Iceland have been very generous. Lashings of nacho cheese sauce mixed in with an abundance of vegetables including mushrooms, mixed beans, roast peppers and jalapeños.
I let it cool slightly and went in for a bite. The first thing I noticed was how incredibly frail and flaky the pastry was, yet strong enough to hold the filling together. The cheese crusting, although subtle, complements the flavours inside the bake.
The overpowering flavour in this was the thick and gloopy nacho cheese sauce - which came in abundance. Incredibly tangy, like liquidised Doritos, and certainly not flavourless like some reviews said. And the subtle flavours of the roasted vegetables really manage to cut through.
The wateriness of the mushrooms, the crunch of the peppers, the tingle of the jalapeños and the earthiness of the mixed beans - it's like a little taste of Mexico in the mouth.
All in all, it's a real shame that my nearest Greggs doesn't sell these little beauties, as they would probably turn into my go to staple instead of the sausage and bean melt. But I'll definitely be picking up a box or two more from my local Iceland to make at home for a quick and light lunch.
Have you tried these products from Iceland? Let us know in the comments section.
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