A waxwork of a Greggs sausage roll is to be put on display next to a host of British icons next month, joining the likes of Sir David Attenborough, Princess Diana and Stormzy at Madame Tussauds.
The replica pastry will be featured in the London attraction’s “Culture Capital Zone”, which is also home to the likes of footballers Kylian Mbappé and Mary Earps, Formula 1 great Lewis Hamilton, playwright William Shakespeare and feminist trailblazer Emmeline Pankhurst.
Madame Tussauds, on Baker Street, is usually reserved for famous names, but the attraction has deviated from the norm to accommodate the pork-based snack and will pay tribute to a food item for the first time in its history.
The sausage roll will be in situ on a blue velvet cushion in a raised glass cabinet not far from Winston Churchill, who is not believed to have ever eaten one. It will be available to view for the first time on June 5 (National Sausage Roll Day, apparently), and will remain there for the rest of the month.
The stunt is being fuelled by a survey of 2,000 Britons conducted by Madame Tussauds and Greggs. Shockingly, respondents are said to have ranked the sausage roll above Charli XCX, Louis Theroux, Danny Dyer, and — this one will really hurt — Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) of EastEnders.
Greggs’ famous snack has been handcrafted in detail by Madame Tussauds studio artists. They followed the same process as they would with a human figure, using a traditional plaster moulding method before sculpting in wax and hand-painting the piece. The team studied dozens of sausage rolls beforehand.
Madame Tussauds said the foodstuff is deserving of the recognition thanks to a host of celebrity endorsements. The likes of Kiefer Sutherland, Teddy Swims, Sam Fender and Taylor Swift have all talked of their appreciation in recent years.
Jo Kinsey, studio manager at Madame Tussauds, said: “The Greggs sausage roll is synonymous with British culture. Our artists have put in numerous hours to capture every detail.
“We took the process very seriously, making this creation the exact same way we make all our figures. We can’t wait for guests to be stopped in their tracks at the life-like sausage roll.”
After starting out as a bakery delivery service in Newcastle in 1939, there are now more than 2,600 Greggs shops across the country. It is unclear when the sausage roll first hit shelves but the company claims it can trace its roots back to the Fifties, when founder John Gregg opened the first shop.
Rosin Currie, CEO at Greggs, said of the display: “We’re absolutely thrilled that Madame Tussauds has chosen to honour the sausage roll in such a unique and iconic way.
“Seeing [it] receive the celebrity treatment is a proud and slightly surreal moment for all of us.”
On show from June 5-30. Madame Tussauds, Marylebone Road, NW1 5LR, madametussauds.com
