High street bakery Greggs has announced the launch of its first Champagne bar.
Running from 24 October, right until the end of December, Greggs is, once again, teaming up with Fenwick Department Store in Newcastle, to serve gourmet bakes and glasses of bubbly. The 16-seater bar will be open daily from 11.30am, and offer vintage, crystal bells that customers can ring for a top up of fizz.
The collaboration, dubbed ‘Bistro Greggs’, first appeared last winter where it served up ‘fine-dining’ dishes. Diners could order festive bakes with duck-fat roasties, smoked pancetta, chestnuts, sprouts and plenty of gravy, and classic steak bakes with truffled dauphinoise potatoes and green beans.
This year, Greggs is once again turning its hand to refined dining, with a new menu from Fenwick executive head chef Mark Reid. The menu will cover a selection of small plates, such as sausage rolls with hot honey chilli sauce (£4), steak bakes with peppercorn aioli (£4.95) and chicken bakes with katsu curry sauce and pickled cucumber (£4.75).
All of this will be available to pair with something off the Champagne list, inviting diners to wash down their bakes with fizz by the glass or bottle, ranging from a £10 glass of Ca’ di Alte Prosecco to a £425 bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal.
Signature cocktails can also be found on the menu, for those who aren’t too keen on bubbles. This year's options include a Yum Yum Twist (made with rum and real Yum Yums), a Cream Eclair (vanilla vodka and dark chocolate liqueur), and the return of last year’s favourite Pink Jammie Fizz (raspberry, apple and fresh doughnut flavours, topped up with Prosecco).
Hannah Squirrell, the customer director at Greggs, stated: ‘While Champagne and Greggs might not be the most immediate food and drink pairing, following the success and reaction to our Greggs Bistro last year, we’re excited for the launch of the Greggs Champagne Bar at Fenwick.
‘Hopefully everyone who visited us last year, and many more, will enjoy the fun and unique experience that’s been created and discover that a chilled glass of Champagne accompanied by a sausage roll will be the hottest ticket in Toon for 2024.’
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