Greggs and Fenwicks latest retailers to open pop-up pub
Greggs is known by most of the UK population for not only its range of snacks but also its quirky tone of voice. But it operates in an incredibly competitive marketplace, against the big global fast food players and has to keep itself in the minds of consumers.
Among its initiatives is the opening of a pop-up pub with one of its North East of England cousins, Fenwick, which has a flagship department store in Newcastle. Within the shop has been created the Golden Flake Tavern, which is open daily from 11am until 7pm from the 27th September until 15th February 2026. Such a move follows pop-up pubs opened by Tesco and Uber and also very recently Higgidy Pies.
The menu features comfort food classics from Greggs – including Chicken-Bake Parmo, Sausage Roll & Mash as well as a mixed grill featuring Greggs’ signature Steak Bake. Among the desserts are sticky-sweet favourites like Yum Yum Bread & Butter Pudding and the Pink Jammie Trifle.
The beer selection is also cleverly curated with two exclusive Greggs-inspired beers – the Pink Jammie Pale Ale and the Gosforth 1939 Stottie Lager – both developed in partnership with the Newcastle-based Full Circle Brew Co. There are also playful cocktails including the Pink Jammie Fizz and The 96 Mule – that references the 96 layers of pastry in the iconic Greggs Sausage Roll.
This is the third in a series of campaigns between Greggs and Fenwick that previously involved Bistro Greggs fine-dining experience in 2023 and the Greggs Champagne Bar in 2024 that saw 8,000 guests savour sausage rolls paired with glasses of sparkling wine.
The combination of these two parties has clearly worked and the pub again highlights a playfulness that is quintessentially Greggs. It successfully manages to place its products in new environments and effectively reimagines them for the consumer. The sausage roll remains the same but it has been made to look comfortable within a Bistro, smart bar, and now a pub environment.
Greggs’ marketing for the pub campaign is very much in keeping with the brands’ clever positioning and tone of voice. On its website it states: “If you’ve been kept up at night wondering how a Steak Bake pairs with a pint, we’ve got the answer. Take a load off with our expertly crafted and perfectly poured Greggs-inspired beers, available on draft. Forget splitting the G, these deserve to be savoured with every sip.”
Glynn Davis, editor, Retail Insider