To celebrate National Sausage Roll Day this Friday (5th June), Greggs has announced it has created an embroidered masterpiece that depicts the epic history of the Greggs Sausage Roll in an 8 metre-long Ta-Pastry, displayed for a limited time only at the Design Museum.
The installation comes ahead of the legendary 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry returning to the UK for the first time in almost a millenium, leading some to declare it as a ‘once in a lifetime’ exhibition, and others predicting there will be Glastonbury-levels of demand for tickets once they go on sale. Set to be on display at The British Museum from September, the tapestry is expected to attract over one million visitors, following the landmark loan from France.
Inspired by this rare cultural moment, Greggs has created its own modern retelling – one that celebrates a different, but no less enduring, piece of British history. And what better way to cement the Sausage Roll within the fabric of British life than to quite literally stitch it into the nation’s story – creating a Ta-Pastry that charts its legendary journey through decades of culture, change and quiet consistency.
Greggs’ unique and irreverent nod to the Bayeux Tapestry will offer a playful twist on the original. Instead of kings and cavalry, the Ta-Pastry will serve as a panoramic exploration of the nation’s cultural bond with Greggs as a heritage brand that extends beyond the bakes.
With thirteen symbolic thread colours, including Greggs Blue and Pastry Gold, the stitch-perfect piece will sit at an impressive 8 metres- wide, and will be displayed for two days in the Design Museum – the world’s leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every form.
To create the needlepoint work of art, Greggs recruited Royal embroiderers, Hawthorne & Heany, an independent embroidery and design atelier consisting of a small team of master artisans and designers.
Depicting six illustrated chapters, the 100% cotton Ta-Pastry offers a unique juxtaposition between the distinctive medieval storytelling of the original Bayeux Tapestry – featuring animals, decorative borders, and use of Latin – alongside modern depictions of cultural moments in Greggs’ history.
The narrative spans nearly a century of Greggs’ heritage, guiding viewers from Ortus Primus (The Early Beginnings) of John Gregg’s humble bicycle rounds on the cobbled streets of Newcastle, through Rotulus Omnia Aevia Perdurat (The Great Divide) sparked by the revolution of Greggs’ Vegan Roll, before culminating in Victor Mundi (Victory of the World).
image002.jpg
The impressive Ta-Pastry, which involved 200 hours of careful stitching, will also feature:
5,521,238 stitches
3,679 trims
29,147.82 metres of top thread
10,693.53 metres of bobbin thread
Zoe Harris, Customer Director at Greggs said: “The Greggs Sausage Roll is woven into the very fabric of British culture, which is why for National Sausage Roll Day we’ve partnered with master royal embroiderers and the Design Museum to create an 8-metre ‘Ta‑Pastry’. Just as the Bayeux Tapestry captured a turning point in history, this 200-hour hand-stitched masterpiece is a fitting tribute to this much-loved British icon — because some legends deserve more than just a paper bag.”
Tim Marlow, Chief Executive and Director at the Design Museum added: “Greggs is a great British brand and what better way to mark National Sausage Roll Day than by immortalising this humble pastry in a tapestry? It will be unlike any other woven artwork ever created and a mouth-watering appetiser for the Bayeux mania to come.”
Full details on how fans can witness the history and get their fill of the Ta-Pastry can be found below:
Dates: Friday 5th June 10am-6pm and Saturday 6th June 10am-6pm
Address: Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High St, London, W8 6AG
Nearest Tubes: High Street Kensington, Holland Park, and Earls Court
Price: Free
