Greggs is riding on a crust (ahem) of a wave right now. The High Street bakery is set to pocket £86million profit for 2018, bolstered by a surge in sales for its £1 vegan sausage roll that became an overnight phenomenon when it was released in just a few stores before Christmas.

The Greggs PR team played a blinder with its social media campaign and has been hailed a "master class in public relations" by the industry magazine PR Week.

It is an example of how the bakery has been able to hit on key trends and can quickly deliver what customers want.


In Exeter High Street, the queues out the door over the lunch time rush hour are testament to its popularity.

And right next door, separated by Parliament Street which at 45inches is the narrowest street in Britain, is Patisserie Valerie.  The last few months could not be more different than its neighbour.

Patisserie Valerie and Greggs in Exeter are separated by the narrowest street in the country but their fortunes are very different

The first signs of trouble came in October after accounting "irregularities" were announced and the finance boss was arrested.

Then in January, the bakery collapsed into administration with news that 70 loss-making outlets were are to close with 920 redundancies. Thankfully, Exeter was not among them.

But things are looking up. The cake chain was bought out of administration by an Irish private equity firm, Causeway Capital Partners, safeguarding nearly 2,000 jobs in the remaining trading stores.

DevonLive business editor Hannah Finch takes the Pat Val v Greggs £10 taste test

Perhaps what it really comes down to is you, the customer. Which one do you go into the most?

The two brands are very different, serving customers for different reasons. It's clear that Greggs is going to have a higher footfall because it's about everyday no-nonsense well-priced food. Plus it knows its customers and what they want - the vegan sausage roll shows that.


Patiserie Valerie is about an occasional treat - fewer purchases, perhaps but a higher spend each time.

It comes down to this: Greggs is a grab-and-go crowdpleaser while Patisserie Valerie caters for a treat or special occasion or when you have a bit more time to savour a meal.

So in the interests of good journalism - being the eyes, ears and tastebuds of the public - we took £10 to each of the stores to see what we could get for our money.


The Pat Val v Greggs £10 taste test. The Greggs haul


There was a fair queue forming when we popped into Greggs on Exeter High Street at about 1pm. With a budget in hand, we actually struggled to spend the full amount, grabbing more than we wanted for lunch.

In the end, we opted for a chicken and bacon baguette, a cheese and ham baguette, bacon and cheese wrap (hot), a bag of hand cooked crisps, fruit pot and bottle of fizzy orange.

It came to £10.40 (less if you count the sandwich + drink meal deal) plus 5p for the Greggs plastic carrier bag.

Patisserie Valerie

DevonLive business editor Hannah Finch takes the Pat Val v Greggs £10 taste test. The Pat Val treasure


A trip to Pat Val has to start with a good ogling of the window display, right? Fruit tarts, choccie treats, macaroons, cakes that you could never make at home... the spectacle is part of the fun.

Once through the door, the bakery is a far more sedate affair to its neighbour - the lighting is elegant and diners are tucking in seated at tables.

Counting the pennies, we go for a slice of Black Forest gateau, double choc gateau and a strawberry tart. They come beautifully presented in a cake box and posh paper bag. This purchase feels like an indulgence.

The bill came to £10.30 but we could have opted for the four cakes for £11 deal.