Few foods capture the British spirit quite like the sausage roll. Whether at festive gatherings or as a quick snack, these golden pastries are a national favourite, so much so that millions are enjoyed every week across the UK, from school tuck shops to football matches to posh buffets, especially during the festive seasons. Their affordability, portability, and versatility have made them a staple for all social classes.
The demand for efficient, consistent quality and innovative flavours has never been higher, Greggs alone sells over 130 million sausage rolls every year and is continuing to grow1. With the cost of its sausage roll increasing from 2016 to 2025 by 53%, Gregg’s total sales of sausage rolls surpassed £2 billion2 in 2024, underscoring the popularity of the sausage roll.
It has been suggested that the sausage roll story began not in the UK but in ancient Greece and Rome, where wrapping meat in dough was commonplace. The modern version, encased in flaky puff pastry, emerged in 19th-century France and quickly became a London street food staple during the Napoleonic Wars.
This enduring love of the sausage roll is supported by innovation behind the scenes. Over the past five decades European Process Plant Ltd (EPP) has worked with Danish oven specialists, SENIUS, to bring world-class tunnel oven technology to UK bakeries. This partnership ensures that, whether the rolls are traditional, vegan, gourmet, or now even super-sized, every batch is baked to perfection, consistently, efficiently, and sustainably.
Henrik Senius recalls, “I remember the first ovens in the UK for baking sausage rolls dating back to 1978. Today, more than 50 SENIUS ovens are dedicated to baking this British staple, with some bakeries producing up to 20,000 standard or 50,000 mini sausage rolls per hour in their SENIUS tunnel ovens.”
“With over 50 years of experience and more than 5 km of tunnel ovens supplied, EPP is delighted to have SENIUS as a partner to help UK bakeries meet the evolving tastes of consumers,” says Steve Merritt, Managing Director at EPP. “SENIUS ovens offer the flexibility and reliability our customers need to produce outstanding sausage rolls, large or small, every single day.”
SENIUS ovens are engineered for versatility and energy efficiency. Their modular design allows for rapid installation, easy cleaning and maintenance, while advanced controls enable precise baking for a wide range of products, from classic pork sausage rolls to creative new fillings and super-sized formats. The hybrid gas-electric models empower bakeries to optimise energy use and reduce costs, supporting environmental goals.
Now, a new trend is taking hold in the UK bakery scene: the super-sized sausage roll, made for sharing and special occasions. EPP and SENIUS are leading the way, providing the technology and expertise to produce these impressive creations with the same quality and consistency as their classic counterparts. SENIUS tunnel ovens, allow bakers to scale up production and experiment with new formats, ensuring every sausage roll is expertly baked.
To learn more or to arrange a demonstration, please contact EPP, the exclusive supplier of SENIUS Equipment in the UK and Ireland. Discover how their trusted solutions can help your bakery thrive for generations to come. Visit www.eppltd.co.uk.
1 https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/business-economics/greggonomics-how-a-bakery-conquered-britain-353714/
2 https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546602/greggs-sausage-roll-price-uk/?srsltid=AfmBOooB_Tf_W2wFIxRS2B9YnWJtB-r0W1Xbb8C0yxe22e96tzps3hot