Andy Burnham's misremembering of a Greggs product name has led to an unexpected rebrand, with the £2.30 sausage, cheese and bean melt now selling out in stores under a new moniker.
The Prime Minister, in an interview, referred to his favourite Greggs pastry as the 'sausage, cheese and bean thing' instead of its official name. Some Greggs outlets have embraced this informal title, renaming the product on their menus.
Rebranded stores see sales surge
At the Brazennose Street Greggs in Manchester, which shares its walls with the headquarters of the new Number 10 North at Heron House, the product is now listed as the 'sausage, cheese and bean thing'. Screens reading 'as eaten by the Prime Minister' adorn the entrance, and the snack is at the forefront of their advertising.
However, customers at this store were told that the new name has driven sales through the roof, with the snack selling out within hours on the first days. The pastry itself remains unchanged in all its properties, from the crust to the paper bag to the dining experience.
Traditional stores still stock the melt
At a second Greggs near St. Peter's Square, the product is still displayed as the sausage, bean and cheese melt and remains available to buy. The contrast highlights the impact of the rebrand on consumer demand.
As the £2.30 pastry was eaten in Albert's Square, opposite the Prime Minister's Manchester hideout, the experience underscored a lesson in food marketing: a well-timed novelty can be more appealing than the product itself, and British humour often values the journey over the destination.
