MINCE pie fans at Greggs have been hit in the pocket after the chain hiked prices by almost a quarter since last Christmas.
Festive pastry lovers have branded café bosses “greedy” after they quietly ramped up mince pie rates just weeks after announcing they are slapping an increase on breakfast meal deal and biscuit prices.
The Sun discovered the hikes after analysing rates at shops in Doncaster, Middlesbrough, Glasgow and Tiverton, Devon, compared to last year’s prices.
They found mince pies had ratcheted up to 80p each.
That’s a 23% hike on the 65p charged this time last year.
Meanwhile, Greggs branches in London are now asking for 95p for the same treat compared to 80p 12 months ago – a 19 per cent increase.
Festive pastry addicts have taken to social media to lambast the chain for hiking prices at a time when Brits are already battling a cost-of-living crisis.
One cheesed off shopper wrote on Facebook: “Greggs (should) change (its) name to “Greeds” – third price rise this year – price up size and quality down greedy b******* shop elsewhere.
Another added: “Greggs are getting greedy.”
While on Reddit a poster wrote: “Greggs is a huge company that only cares about profit margins.
“They use any excuse to raise prices. I find that the price you pay in a real bakery is often the same as you pay in Greggs’ factory fakery outlet stores.”
Another forum user said: “Daylight robbery, no wonder people have started nicking sausage rolls.”
While one added: “Greggs used to be a decent value for money business with some good food.
“I’m guessing they went the same way as brands like Pizza Hut and Frankie and Bennies; cutting quality and increasing prices to make private equity/shareholder profits go up.
“We can’t have anything nice in this country.”
Another noted that it was the seventh price increase in three years, accusing Greggs of “pure greed”.
“They come every three or four months right on schedule.
“The next one will be in January after this one, I can bet on it. They said last year ‘we won’t be raising prices again this year’ then went ahead and raised them at the end of December,” the poster wrote.
The price hikes could see more shoppers go to supermarkets for their mince pie fix – as it’s far cheaper to buy a multipack.
Tesco and Morrisons are selling six-packs of mince pies for £1.50 – 25p per pie.
While six-packs from Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Lidl and Asda cost £1.25, which works out at 21p per mince pie.
It’s not just mince pie munchers who are being asked to cough up more cash for their pastries.
Last year sausage rolls cost £1.20 in most of the UK but have now been hiked up to £1.30.
While Londoners are being charged £1.55 up from £1.45 last year.
Steak bakes go for £2.10 outside London compared to just £1.95 last year.
Inside the capital punters are charged £2.50 a pop for the same treat up from £2.35 last year.
Jam doughnuts are now £1.05 up from 90p last year around the UK compared to £1.25 in London up from £1.10 just 12 months ago.
Greggs has more than 2,700 shops across the UK and plans to open a total of 120 new sites by the end of the year.
Today we revealed the chain is opening a new type of shop that will reach more on the go pastry lovers in a major change.
“Greggs Bitesize” is a trial of a new kiosk style format aimed at customers in high-footfall areas.
This Friday a new format of the nation’s favourite bakery opens at Sevenoaks Railway Station.
Consumer champion Martyn James said of our discovery: “There’s no Christmas cheer down at Greggs this year for those who fancy a mince pie with their sausage roll.
“This inflation busting price rise (five times and more the current rate of 3.8 per cent) is making mincemeat of the treat budget.
“One for the naughty list.”
Greggs declined to comment.
