Out-of-touch bungler Jake Berry, 40, shocked MPs with his outspoken attack on the tasty hot snack in a Westminster debate.

Taking a swipe at the chain’s vegan offering to mark January – dubbed “Veganuary” by campaigners – he also piled into its top-selling original meat version.

The blundering Conservative told MPs: “I will self-declare: I am not taking part in Veganuary, and I am not a vegangelist — the vegan equivalent of an evangelist — but I have tried a Greggs vegan sausage roll.

“It tasted to me much like any other Greggs sausage roll – not very nice.”

Greggs 22,000 employees serve millions of customers every week at its 1,850 outlets across Britain.

The 327-calorie sausage roll was on sale at its Westminster store for £1.15 on Wednesday.

Labour MP Mary Glindon, whose North Tyneside seat includes Greggs HQ, said: “I respect the Minister but this was a poor joke.

“Jobs at Greggs in my constituency and nationally are no laughing matter and Jake is not a food critic.

“The minister could join me in saluting Greggs’ success and recognising that many enjoy its delicious food.

“I’m very happy to treat him to a roll, vegan or not, and to chew the cud on jobs and growth in the North.”

His distasteful comments came during a Monday-night debate called by Labour’s Ronnie Campbell about a disused factory in his Northumberland constituency.

Mr Campbell told the Commons how activist and celebrity vegetarian Heather Mills wants to takeover the plant and use it to produce vegan food – prompting an exchange about Greggs’ vegan “sausage roll”.

Mr Berry’s attack came seven years after George Osborne outraged lovers of hot pastry-based products with his bungled attempt at introducing a “pasty tax”.

But not all Conservatives snub Greggs, with even Tory toff Jacob Rees-Mogg a fan.

The unlikely diner was pictured last May entering a branch in Keynsham in his North East Somerset constituency.

He reportedly bought an egg mayonnaise sandwich.

And during the EU referendum campaign, the Mirror joined former Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls in sharing a pastry banquet from the firm when the Labour big beast stopped off a motorway services in Lancashire.

“Six sausage rolls, four steak bakes and two corned beef slices, please,” paying the £10.88 bill on his credit card.

Greggs is rightly proud of its famous snack.

Its website says: “All hail a British classic!

“Our tasty sausage rolls have developed a bit of a following over the years -and it’s easy to see why.

“Freshly baked in our shops throughout the day, these family favourites are made from seasoned sausage meat wrapped in layers of crisp, golden puff pastry.

“And that’s it. No clever twist. No secret ingredient. It’s how you like them so that’s how we make them.”

Mr Berry posted a Twitter message confirming he does not like Greggs’ sausage rolls, but adding: “I do love their steak bakes!”

Greggs refused to comment.

Read More

Latest Brexit news

Source: Read Full Article