2:01PM, Sat Dec 1, 2012

Home Comforts Overseas: British Troops On What Greggs Pasties Mean To Them

By Jenny Wotherspoon Location: Catterick

VIDEO: Squaddies get sentimental about their savouries

British troops at Catterick Garrison say they are thrilled that Newcastle bakers Greggs is supplying pasties and sausage rolls to a base in Germany.

Soldiers out grabbing a bite of lunch in the North Yorkshire town told us Greggs was "a taste of home" and a "home comfort" while they are serving overseas.

The arrangement between Greggs and armed forced caterer Navy, Army and Air Force Institues (NAAFI) will see seven varieties of savouries supplied to the base in Gutersioh.

If the scheme proves successful among soldiers in Germany, it could be rolled out to British military bases worldwide.

NAAFI caters for troops in Afghanistan, Ascension, Brunei, Germany, Gibraltar, The Falkland Islands and Northern Ireland. It also provides the food on board Royal Navy ships.

Greggs Chief Executive Ken McMeikan is Navy veteran of the Falklands War himself.

He said: "It’s great to hear that Greggs was the most requested brand that troops missed from home and we are really pleased to be making our savouries accessible to our troops in Germany, and, depending on the success of the trial, more widely available for our armed forces personnel around the world."

Mike Chapman Head of Customer Service for NAAFI said: "We are delighted to be able to bring customers the taste of home that they have been asking for.

"Greggs is one of the most popular brands on the UK High Street for its iconic sausage rolls and pasties, and our customers want us to deliver that to them during their NAAFI break.”