Exclusive:
Greggs launched a new hot pasta box a couple of weeks ago and since then, fans have gone wild on social media, saying it’s the ‘best thing ever’ – so of course, I had to try it
Mac & Cheese tried and tested from Greggs
Described as “life changing” by fans, Greggs’ mac and cheese is cooking up an internet storm, as part of the High Street chain’s ‘secret menu’ – items from which are not advertised on the website.
Now the pasta dish has gone viral, after being tested by influencer Carmie Sellitto – who has 790,000 TikTok followers and gave the mac and cheese 9 out of 10, telling fans: “Wow! I actually ate this so quickly I couldn’t take a second to breathe, I was so excited!”
Notoriously hard to find and only available in select stores for a limited time, he visited five different Greggs before finding the cheesy dish – getting 1.3 million views for his review.
Now, The Mirror’s Ali Graves, who found some mac and cheese in her local Greggs in Dundee, has tested it to see if it’s really worth scouring the country to find.
Ali’s verdict:
So step aside sausage rolls, and move out the way steak bakes – if you’re a fan of Greggs for a speedy lunch then you’ll be happy to know that they have a new lunchtime contender on shop shelves to warm you up.
But wait, what’s this? Moving away from just pastry goods in a bid to ‘expand on their comfort food range’, the high street favourite is offering a hot pasta box, piled high with mac and cheese.
It ain’t easy being cheesy and as a self-confessed macaroni connoisseur it felt only right that I take one for our Mirror team and dive in, fork piled high, to see what all the fuss is about. After all, this meal, which will set you back £4.55, is doing the rounds on social media, with fans across the country raving about the pasta.
Described as ‘cooked pasta in a cheese sauce topped with a blend of Cheddar and red Leicester cheese, ciabatta breadcrumbs and parsley,’ this sounds like an ideal, filling lunch.
Prices vary, with a full meal including a drink costing you up to £5.75, but the question on everyone’s lips is, is it worth it? Should you part with little change from a tenner at your local Greggs – because let’s face it, you’re not leaving without a doughnut too – or stick with a cheap and cheerful sausage roll?
Interestingly, this ‘secret menu’ item only officially launched two weeks ago after a miniscule trial back in November to just one unknown UK location, and isn’t available in all stores across the UK, so you’ll need to keep all fingers and toes crossed as you head to your nearest outlet.
First impressions are in. The brown box is smaller than I expected for the price, but moving quickly past this, the smell is incredible. Driving hungrily home with this safely secured as my passenger was a struggle – the homemade cheesy smell is heavenly.
On opening the box, the first thing I spotted was the thick layer of melted cheese. This mac and cheese isn’t messing about – it delivers on that full-on cheese you’d hope for and was generously surrounded with soft, herby breadcrumbs.
But the bit we all want to know – how’s that sauce? Thick, creamy and white smothered on top of soft pasta twists, with an outstanding homemade flavour. Very impressive.
Greggs know their customers, trialling products that spark nostalgia and remind them of home. For example, Glasgow shoppers can now pick up a Pineapple cake, and hungry Londoners can grab a Tottenham cake.
Dundee Greggs store manager, Dean Wilcox, loves the new addition to the range of delicious and convenient food choices, with just one request for his big Greggs bosses: “I’d love to see Stovies available next” – that’s mashed potato and corn beef for those living south of the border.
The hot dish isn’t the first pasta to grace shelves in Greggs but for now, there are only cold versions available, making this a well-received warming meal you can grab with ease.
Dean did cryptically add that it’s the only hot pasta “for now.”
The possibility of more hot pasta options? Yes please! After this taste test, it’s a big cheesy thumbs up from me.
