Greggs recently released some new additions to the menu, launching flatbreads for both meat eaters and veggies to enjoy. The products each offer a slightly healthier alternative in terms of calories to pre-existing sandwiches on the menu - with the Mexican Chicken option a spin-off on the pre-existing oval bite, and the Chicken Shawarma edition very similar to the Tandoori Chicken Roll.
The beloved bakery describes the Mexican Chicken option as: "Our Mexican Chicken Flatbread is made with Mexican style chicken, chipotle chilli sauce, fresh salad leaves, mixed peppers & chipotle chilli mayonnaise in a soft folded flatbread," while dubbing the Shawarma as: "Made with shawarma style chicken, sliced cucumber, fresh salad leaves, with a dollop of mayonnaise in a sumptuously soft folded flatbread."
The third no-chicken vegan option meanwhile, is compiled of "delicious tandoori chicken-free pieces, cucumber, salad and a dollop of tandoori mayonnaise and mango chutney." But do the new additions actually bring anything new to the menu in terms of taste and value for money - Chronicle Live found out.
Is the government doing enough to help with the cost of living? Let us know
I headed down to my local Greggs, hoping to snag one of each to find out for myself. What I will say is that on the face of things, the vegan-friendly option seems to be either unavailable at my closest store, or they're selling like hotcakes - as there were sadly none available at the time of my visit. It was slim pickings for the Chicken Shawarma option too, with just one left in the fridge which I quickly snapped up.
On the other hand, the Mexican Chicken version was stacked up - no doubt due to the similarities it has with the oval bite sandwich. After picking up two out of three of the flatbreads with success, I took them home to dissect and trial. Here's what I found.
Mexican Chicken Flatbread - £3.25 - 372kcal
Right off the bat, the first thing I'll say is that the similarities with this flatbread and the sandwich option are very noticeable. The price of £3.25 is the same for both and the filling is also identical.
The main difference I found before trying the flatbread however, lies in the calories. The new addition will only take up 372 calories of your daily allowance, while the oval bite sandwich option is a slightly higher 452 calories - 80 calories more.
I will also note that the sandwich is slightly larger - coming in at 212 grams to the flatbread's 192 grams, so you certainly get a bigger product for the same price with the former. In terms of taste, it is identical.
The smokiness of the chargrilled chicken, the sweet and tangy zing of the chipotle chilli mayo, the wave of freshness that comes with the abundance of lettuce. Sure, there's the addition of the peppers with the flatbread, and you don't get the grainy texture of the seeds on the sandwich version, but neither in my opinion add that much anyway.
I won't slate the flatbread, as it's a really nice dish - but does it set my taste buds alight in terms of difference and creativity? It does not. I would also perhaps be more inclined to buy the oval bite sandwich instead of the flatbread next time, as although the pitta/naan encompassment is flavoursome, it's simply not as filling as a bun.
Score: It's an average 3/5 for me, nothing to exactly write home about and fairly underwhelming. The flavour adds bonus points, but it's not exactly a brand-new product is it?
Chicken Shawarma Flatbread - £3.25 - 383kcal
Next up, it was the Chicken Shawarma Flatbread. The product comes in at the same price of £3.25, and it will cost you a mere 383 calories of your daily allowance. It also weighs in at an average of 205 grams, slightly denser than the Mexican Chicken take.
In terms of appearance, it's a pretty parcel to look at - and it gives off a fairly minty odour, more than likely from the unholy lashings of 'shawarma style' mayo. And taste-wise, this one scores highly in my books.
The tender chicken - almost pulled in consistency - falls apart in your mouth, and it's very well seasoned with an array of herbs and spices. The mayonnaise is incredibly minty, and it works well with the freshness and wateriness of the thinly-sliced cucumber.
The floured flatbread also holds up well, and it's not as messy of an eat as your would first assume.
All in all, I would describe it as a little bite of Turkish street food on Tyneside - and it's something new and exciting brought to the menu at Greggs which hasn't prior been explored. Well worth the £3.25, and I can certainly see why my local store had almost sold out of them.
Score: 5/5 in terms of creativity, uniqueness and taste. Well played, Greggs.
Although I didn't have the chance to try the third and final vegan-friendly option, I will certainly be keeping my eye out for it. Greggs is one of the fast food retailers, in my humble opinion, which does meat-free options incredibly well.
Their vegan takes on the sausage roll and cheese and bean melt went down a treat, and I'm certainly interested in trying the newest addition.
READ NEXT:
