Greggs Festive Bake 2026: It’s Already Back — Release Date, New Recipe, Price and Full Christmas Menu

Updated Saturday 31 October 2026 — the Festive Bake has been in Greggs shops since Thursday 22 October

When did the Greggs Festive Bake come back in 2026?

The Festive Bake returned on Thursday 22 October 2026, when Greggs put its full Christmas menu into shops nationwide, as Grocery Gazette reported on launch day. That is 15 days earlier than last year, and earlier than any year in our records, which go back to 2018.

This year Greggs launched Christmas in two waves. The first, on Thursday 1 October, brought back Pigs in Blankets (six in a pot for £2.50), Sweet Mince Pies, the Christmas Cake Slice (from £1.50) and Christmas Mini Caramel Shortbreads, Brit Brief reported. The second wave, on 22 October, added the Festive Bake, the new sandwiches, sweet treats and the festive drinks.

Why so many sites still say 6 November

Search for the Festive Bake 2026 and some fan sites still say it “returns on 6 November 2026”, and even call that date confirmed. It is not. 6 November was the 2025 launch date. Those pages copied it and changed the year. If you have been waiting for 6 November, you can go and get one now.

Festive Bake return dates and prices, year by year

Greggs always launches its festive range on a Thursday, and until this year it was always the first or second Thursday of November. Here is the full record we could verify:

Sources: Yorkshire Evening Post (2018, 2021), Square Meal (2023), British Baker / Bakery Info (2024), Yorkshire Post (2025), Grocery Gazette (2026). We could not verify 2019, 2020 and 2022 from two sources, so they are left out. Prices can vary by shop.

What the numbers show

• The price is up 67% since 2018, from £1.50 to £2.50.
• This year’s rise is the biggest we have recorded: 40p in one year, or 19%. In the two years before, the bake went up by just 5p and then 10p.
• Launch day keeps moving earlier. It was the second Thursday of November in 2018 and 2023, the first Thursday in 2021, 2024 and 2025, and the fourth Thursday of October this year.

Greggs has not explained the 2026 price. The bake has a new, fuller recipe this year, with two extra ingredients, which partly accounts for it. In January 2023 Greggs’ chief executive Roisin Currie said that, despite cost inflation of about 9%, Greggs had kept its 2022 price rises to 5p or 10p per item. A 40p rise on one product stands out against that.

What’s in the new 2026 Festive Bake?

Greggs calls it a new and improved recipe for 2026. Compared with previous years, the filling now includes smoked ham hock and soft cheese, and the stuffing now includes pork:

Previous recipe as described by Greggs in 2021 and 2025; 2026 recipe as described in Greggs’ launch coverage.

Calories: the previous Festive Bake had 453 calories, Greggs said in 2021. Greggs has not widely published the new recipe’s calories, and with ham hock and cheese added, it may be higher. Check the nutrition information in the Greggs app or on the Greggs website before you rely on the old figure.

Allergens: as a puff-pastry bake with a creamy sauce and soft cheese, it contains gluten and milk. Greggs publishes full allergen details in its app and in shops. Always check them if you have an allergy, because recipes change.

The full Greggs Christmas menu 2026 and prices

Here is everything on the 2026 festive menu that we could confirm from launch coverage, with the “from” prices Greggs gave. Prices can be higher in some locations, such as stations and airports.

Sources: Grocery Gazette (22 October 2026) and Brit Brief (14 October 2026). “Varies” means Greggs did not give a national price in the coverage we found. Check the Greggs app for your shop.

What’s new on the menu this year

• Pigs Under Blankets Toastie: smoked bacon, pork sausage, Cheddar and cranberry and red onion relish in sourdough white bread, topped with béchamel sauce and cheese.
• Pepperoni Pizza with Hot Honey: not very Christmassy, but new and one of the cheaper hot options at £2.70.
• Millionaire’s Doughnut: filled with caramel and topped with salted caramel icing and shortcake pieces.
• Candy cane mint drinks: an iced matcha latte, an iced chocolate and a hot chocolate. Last year’s gingerbread drinks do not appear in this year’s coverage.

What’s gone since last year

Several 2025 items are missing from the 2026 coverage: the Hot Christmas Lunch Baguette, the Chicken Tandoori Pizza, the Gingerbread Muffin and the Gingerbread Latte range. The Festive Feast Baguette and the Pigs Under Blankets Toastie take over as the hot Christmas sandwiches. If a 2025 favourite is missing from your local shop, ask the staff. Ranges can vary.

Is there a vegan Festive Bake in 2026?

Not as far as we can tell. None of the 2026 launch coverage we found mentions a vegan festive bake, and Greggs has not said whether one is coming later. The vegan version has had a rocky history:

• 2021: the Vegan Festive Bake launched, at the same £1.60 as the original.
• 2023: it was dropped and replaced by a Spicy Vegetable Curry Bake, to complaints from vegan customers.
• 2024: it came back, launching the day after the meat version.
• 2025: it returned as the Vegan Lattice (Festive Edition), at £2.10.

In spring 2026 Greggs also took its everyday Vegan Lattice off the menu again, Vegan Food & Living reported. If a vegan festive option appears later in the season, we will add it here. In the meantime, check the Greggs app, which lists everything your local shop sells.

How long is the Festive Bake available?

Greggs sells its festive range until the new year, and the bake usually disappears in the first week or two of January, when the new-year menu arrives. Greggs has not given a 2026 end date. Because it launched early this year, the 2026 Festive Bake should be on sale for more than ten weeks if it lasts into early January, the longest run in our records.

How to get a Festive Bake for less

• Use a meal deal. Greggs usually includes the Festive Bake in its savoury bake and hot drink deals. In 2024 the bake-and-drink deal started from £2.85. Ask at the counter for this year’s deal price.
• Use the Greggs app. The app has loyalty rewards and occasional launch offers. In 2024, app customers got a free bottle of Coke Zero or Diet Coke with a Festive Bake in launch week.
• Order ahead. Click + Collect in the app lets you skip the lunchtime queue. You can also order through Just Eat and Uber Eats, but delivery usually costs more.
• Go early. Popular bakes can sell out at lunchtime. Morning and early afternoon are the safest times.

Can you buy Greggs Festive Bakes in supermarkets?

Greggs has sold its Vegan Festive Bake frozen through Iceland and The Food Warehouse before, in 2023 for example. We have not found a 2026 frozen Festive Bake announcement, so check Iceland’s website or freezers before you make the trip.

Greggs Festive Bake 2026: your questions answered

When does the Greggs Festive Bake come back in 2026?

It is already back. The Festive Bake returned to Greggs shops nationwide on Thursday 22 October 2026.

How much is a Greggs Festive Bake in 2026?

From £2.50, up from £2.10 in 2025. Prices can be higher in some locations, such as stations and airports.

Has the Festive Bake recipe changed?

Yes. Greggs calls it a new and improved recipe for 2026. It now includes smoked ham hock and soft cheese alongside the chicken and sweetcure bacon, with pork in the stuffing.

Is there a vegan Festive Bake at Greggs in 2026?

None of the 2026 announcements we found mention one. Check the Greggs app for your local shop.

How many calories are in a Greggs Festive Bake?

The previous recipe had 453 calories. Greggs has not widely published the figure for the new 2026 recipe, so check the app.

When does the Greggs Christmas menu end?

Usually in the first week or two of January. Greggs has not given a 2026 end date.

What else is new at Greggs for Christmas 2026?

The Pigs Under Blankets Toastie, a Pepperoni Pizza with Hot Honey, Millionaire’s and Double Chocolate Doughnuts, a White Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie and candy cane mint drinks.

Why do some websites say 6 November?

Because 6 November was the 2025 launch date. Some pages copied it and changed the year.