Greggs Pub Golden Flake Tavern: First Pub with Beers on Draft

Greggs, the UK’s beloved high street bakery, is entering new territory with the launch of its first ever pub – the Golden Flake Tavern. Located in Newcastle’s Fenwick department store, this limited-time venue blends traditional British pub culture with Greggs’ signature food and branding.

Featuring exclusive beers, Greggs-inspired meals, and a bold new approach to customer experience, this venture marks a significant shift in how the brand engages with its loyal audience.

What Is the Greggs Pub Golden Flake Tavern?

Greggs has introduced its very first pub, the Golden Flake Tavern, a new and unexpected venture from the high street bakery chain best known for sausage rolls and steak bakes.

Located in Newcastle’s Fenwick department store, the pub is a temporary fixture that blends traditional British pub culture with Greggs’ familiar menu in an entirely fresh format.

The interior has been reimagined to reflect a cosy, modern pub atmosphere with seating for 88 guests. This isn’t a pop-up kiosk or standard café setup, but a fully licensed pub offering dine-in service, alcoholic beverages, and an entirely unique food and drink menu curated to reflect the Greggs identity in a sit-down experience.

This new concept follows a series of successful collaborations between Greggs and Fenwick, where both brands have used creative installations to explore how retail and food experiences can intersect in ways that draw in new demographics and generate social media interest.

Where Is the Greggs Pub Located and How Long Will It Be Open?

The Golden Flake Tavern is situated in the Fenwick store within Newcastle’s Eldon Square, one of the busiest retail hubs in the North East. It opened to the public on Saturday 27 September and will remain operational for approximately five months, with a projected closing date of 15 February next year.

The location can host up to 88 seated customers at a time and includes both bar seating and dining tables. Online reservations open every Thursday at midday.

However, guests who prefer spontaneity can walk in, subject to availability. The flexibility of the booking system allows the pub to cater to both planned visits and casual shoppers discovering the venue on the day.

The decision to place the first Greggs pub in Newcastle is both strategic and sentimental. Greggs was founded in Gosforth, Newcastle in 1939, and the brand continues to maintain strong regional ties. The city has consistently shown high engagement with Greggs concepts, making it an ideal location for experimental projects like this one.

What Drinks Are Being Served at the Greggs Pub?

Greggs has partnered with Full Circle Brew Co, a respected Newcastle-based brewery, to create two beers exclusive to the Golden Flake Tavern. These beers have been developed with clear inspiration from the bakery’s popular products, offering an immersive brand experience through taste and presentation.

Here’s a breakdown of the available beer options:

Beer Name	Description	Brewed In Partnership With
Pink Jammie Pale Ale	Fruity pale ale inspired by Greggs’ jam-based baked goods	Full Circle Brew Co
Gosforth 1939 Stottie Lager	Crisp lager named after Greggs’ founding year and hometown	Full Circle Brew Co

In addition to the exclusive beers, the pub features a full-service bar that includes:

Standard draught and bottled lagers
Wines and spirits
Soft drinks for non-alcoholic options
A Greggs-themed cocktail list featuring inventive drinks like “Sausage Roll Sour” and “Custard Tartini”

The drink offerings are designed to attract a wide range of patrons, from Greggs enthusiasts to traditional pub-goers, ensuring that the beverage experience aligns with the brand’s accessible image while introducing a higher-end touch.

What’s on the Food Menu at the Golden Flake Tavern?

The food menu offers 15 different dishes, all inspired by Greggs’ most popular items. While the ingredients and concepts are familiar, the presentation and combinations have been elevated to suit a plated pub experience. This strategy allows Greggs to maintain its brand integrity while exploring dine-in formats.

Some of the highlights from the menu include:

Chicken Bake Parmo – a twist on the Teesside classic, using Greggs’ chicken bake as the main element
Steak Bake Mixed Grill – combining the bakery’s steak bake with grilled components like sausages and black pudding
Sausage Roll and Mash – served with buttery mash, gravy and greens
Greggs Ploughman’s Platter – a hearty plate with bakery-style pastries, chutney, and sliced meats

The Golden Flake Tavern’s most unique offering is the Greggs Sunday Carvery, available weekly. Guests can select one of three bake-centred mains:

Main Bake Option	Carvery Trimmings Included
Steak Bake	Roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese, gravy
Chicken Bake	Seasonal vegetables, stuffing, mashed potato, Yorkshire pudding
Cheese and Onion Bake	Root vegetable medley, cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire pudding

This creative take on the traditional British roast gives customers a familiar pub meal with a twist that is unmistakably Greggs.

What’s Unique About the Greggs-Inspired Desserts?

The dessert menu reflects the playful spirit of the brand while embracing comfort-food staples. Using their existing bakery items as foundations, Greggs has designed two standout desserts:

Yum Yum Bread and Butter Pudding: A rich reinterpretation of the classic British dessert made with Greggs’ sugary, twisted pastries.
Pink Jammie Trifle: A nostalgic, colourful dish with doughnut chunks suspended in jelly, layered with custard, jam, and topped with whipped cream.

These desserts serve more than just flavour. They provide a sense of indulgence and creativity that encourages sharing on social media platforms, something Greggs has consistently leveraged in its previous campaigns.

How Is Greggs Collaborating with Fenwick Again?

Greggs and Fenwick have a history of successful partnerships, using their shared North East roots as a foundation for joint innovation. The Golden Flake Tavern is the third major collaboration between the two brands, following:

Bistro Greggs: Launched in December 2023, this pop-up fine dining restaurant offered multi-course meals inspired by Greggs’ signature items, reinvented with haute cuisine techniques.
Greggs Champagne Bar: A summer 2024 experience where visitors paired classic Greggs snacks with premium Champagne, attracting over 8,000 guests in nine weeks.

These collaborations allow Greggs to engage with a different demographic and test new product formats in a limited-run environment. Fenwick benefits from increased footfall, media attention, and the ability to differentiate its in-store experience from competitors.

Why Is This Pub a Bold Move for Greggs?

The launch of the Golden Flake Tavern signals a shift in strategy from a quick-service, high-volume model to one that includes brand experience and sit-down hospitality. While the core business remains unchanged, Greggs is exploring new channels that could shape how the brand grows in the future.

This approach achieves several strategic goals:

It attracts new audiences who might not visit Greggs regularly
It creates media buzz and social shareability
It tests potential dine-in concepts in a controlled, time-limited environment

The pub format also allows Greggs to experiment with extended hours and evening dining, which is not always feasible in traditional shop locations. The long-standing popularity of the Greggs brand ensures built-in curiosity and foot traffic, reducing the risk typically associated with launching new restaurant ventures.

What Are the Opening Hours and Booking Information?

The Golden Flake Tavern operates during standard Fenwick opening hours, which generally run from morning to early evening throughout the week. However, specific hours may vary on weekends or during special events like quiz nights.

Bookings can be made online beginning every Thursday at midday, and walk-ins are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The pub is expected to draw both locals and tourists, especially during weekends and the festive season, so reservations are recommended for groups or special occasions.

Every Tuesday from 7 October, the venue hosts a quiz night, with entry priced at £5 for teams of up to six people. This weekly event adds a community element to the pub’s atmosphere and encourages repeat visits.

How Is the Greggs Pub Reflecting the North East Culture?

The pub pays homage to Newcastle and the broader North East region in both design and concept. From beer names like “Gosforth 1939” to the choice of Fenwick as a partner, the location and offerings are tailored to reflect regional pride.

This regional focus includes:

Locally brewed beer through Full Circle Brew Co
Regional dish adaptations like the Parmo
Greggs’ origin story embedded into the pub’s theme

By grounding the venture in its roots, Greggs appeals to local customers who value heritage and authenticity, while also giving visitors a reason to connect with the brand in a new way. The Golden Flake Tavern becomes not only a marketing project but also a cultural showcase for North East food, drink and identity.

Conclusion

The Golden Flake Tavern represents a fresh chapter in Greggs’ ongoing evolution. By combining comfort food classics with an immersive pub setting, Greggs has crafted a unique experience that celebrates both its heritage and modern consumer trends.

Whether you’re there for a Pink Jammie Pale Ale or a steak bake Sunday roast, the venue offers more than just novelty—it reflects how iconic brands can stay relevant through innovation. Newcastle locals and visitors alike now have a new reason to visit Fenwick.