BARRHEAD residents have been clamouring to get their teeth into the latest vegan treat on offer from a popular high street baker.

The vegan steak bake hit the shelves of selected branches of Greggs this week, with hungry customers eager to see how it compares to another successful innovation, the vegan sausage roll.

And, while residents in the likes of Johnstone and Erskine were disappointed to discover stores in their town aren’t yet stocking the new arrival, there were no such problems for those visiting the branch in Barrhead’s Main Street.

Store manager Sean Finnell told the Barrhead News: “It’s a case of so far, so good.

“It was the same with our vegan sausage rolls – sales went through the roof.”

Created to mirror some of the original Greggs steak bake’s classic features, the vegan bake has 96 layers of puff pastry but, instead of a meat filling, has Quorn pieces, diced onions and a vegan gravy.

Roger Whiteside, chief executive at Greggs, said: “Our vegan sausage roll launch was a huge success and we’ve been working tirelessly to expand our vegan-friendly offering and provide more delicious savoury food on-the-go options for people looking to reduce their meat intake.

“The launch of our vegan steak bake is another key milestone on our journey to become our customers’ favourite for food-on-the-go.”

Greggs stores also sell vegan soup and a special version of the bakery chain’s glazed ring doughnut.

Meanwhile, a debate has sparked off over whether the steak bake is tastier than the vegan sausage roll, with some customers saying it has prompted them to do ‘Veganuary’ – an annual event that encourages people to go vegan for the month of January.