A Greggs superfan who claims to have eaten more than 10,000 of its “delicious” sausage rolls is touring the UK in a bid to purchase her favourite savoury snack in every one of its 2,078 bakeries. Megan Topping, 27, turned the half-baked idea into a fully-formed plan while on furlough during the coronavirus pandemic.
Describing herself as "completely and utterly Greggs mad", Ms Topping, from Middleton in Greater Manchester, believes the challenge could take several years to complete. She said: "I go [to Greggs] almost every day and have done for years.
“People think this is a bit of a joke, but genuinely Greggs has been important throughout my life and I’m so grateful it exists. It sounds crazy, but even if I’m travelling, the first thing I look for is a Greggs.”
She added: “I hope to hit every single one and I’ve booked some time off work later this year, so I hope to start making real progress towards completing my goal.”
Bartender Ms Topping is already a step closer to fulfilling her puff pastry dreams after saving up to buy a £1,000 Hyundai i10 car in late 2021. Calling it the "Greggsmobile", she plans to use the vehicle for her tour, which includes travelling to bakeries as far north as Inverness and as far south as Plymouth.
So far, she has visited every outlet in Greater Manchester – checking off a dozen shops since lockdown ended last summer. Ms Topping said: “I just saved up for the car so I could make this epic sausage roll trek.
“I couldn’t be more excited. I work a lot and I wanted to do something fun with my life, so I thought, ‘Sod it, why not?’. I think it will take a few years at least, but I’m game.”
Disputing critics who may think she is as flaky as some of her favourite pastries, Ms Topping says she is simply following her one true passion. She said she spends around £300 a month in Greggs.
“I don’t feel like I’ve lost the plot", she said. "We all have a bit of craziness inside us and Greggs sausage rolls are my passion.
“To whoever thinks I’m bonkers, fine. Just remember, I will be enjoying every single Greggs sausage roll I eat. So, maybe it’s not so mad after all!”
Ms Topping started eating sausage rolls at Greggs when she was just 10-years-old and has not looked back. She said the bakery chain has been a constant in her life and she could not imagine a world without it.
“I used to get Greggs on the way to school and my teachers always moaned about me eating them all the time", she said. “I’ve loved Greggs my whole life. Greggs just do it better than any other bakery. Everybody loves Greggs.
“If I could ever speak to the Greggs family I would just like to thank them, as their bakes have been such a big part of my life. I just appreciate them so much.”
Ms Topping claims to eat Greggs for breakfast and lunch before her shifts at work each day and will even try to sneak in a steak bake for dinner if she can. She said: “When we first went into lockdown, my main concern was, ‘Where am I going to get my Greggs from and how quickly?'”
She added: “Even when I did catch Covid in the summer of 2021, I got Greggs delivered to my house. I can’t live without its pastries.
“Greggs are great for every occasion. If I’m upset, I get Greggs. If I’m tired, I get Greggs. If I need lunch or dinner, I get Greggs.
“I’ll have Greggs for breakfast, then for lunch and I’ll try to sneak one in for tea.” She added: “On my days off I get Greggs delivered to my house.”
Despite her pastry-heavy diet, Ms Topping has a body mass index (BMI) of 18.6 – within the NHS 18.5 to 24.9 healthy range. She said she does squats to stay fit, albeit while eating a cheese and onion bake.
Brushing off any health concerns, she said: “I’m not worried that I’ll get unhealthy after 2,000 Greggs sausage rolls, as I’m quite healthy now and I eat them all the time. I go for walks with my cocker spaniel Chino and my job has me on my feet.”
While she feels physically fit, Ms Topping's obsession with the bakery has come with hidden costs. In one case last summer she said she forked out £20 for a taxi from Middleton to Stalybridge 15 miles away, just so she could get her sausage roll fix.
Her typical pre-work order includes two hot sausage rolls, a vegan sausage roll, a box of filled doughnuts and a steak bake. And, if she is feeling like treating herself, she might also get a ham and cheese baguette.
She said: “The sausage roll is the best thing Greggs does, hands down. I love it fresh out of the oven.
“It’s still my favourite thing and going strong after all these years. They created one of the best recipes in the world.
“I’ve been eating sausage rolls since 2005. I have eaten around 10,000 in total – if not more.”
And now she cannot wait to get started on her tour of the UK. Ms Topping, who has even created a spreadsheet to keep track of her progress, said: “I’m looking forward to getting in the car and starting my road trip. I love it because I will be able to see so much of the UK, which I’d never have seen otherwise.”
She added: “Visiting Greggs all over Great Britain and eating my favourite sausage rolls in every bakery will be the most fun thing I’ve ever done and if it gives someone else a laugh along the way, then that’s great. I never expected to be doing something like this, but here we are – it’s not half baked at all!”
Ms Topping has set her sights on the "poshest" Greggs in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, which she says would be the site of her dream date. She said: “My perfect date isn’t some fancy dinner, but just a sit down in Greggs. Just us and a couple of sausage rolls.”
