Harry Gow is one of the most prolific bakeries in the Highlands and Moray.
You can pick up their products in as many as 17 stores and 34 Co-op branches across the regions, so it’s fair to say there is ample opportunity to get your fix.
Greggs, on the other hand, boasts 270 stores across the whole of Scotland.
Julia and I have visited a few Greggs branches in the past since we’re both based in Aberdeen city centre. But neither of us had sampled what Harry Gow has to offer until a recent trip to Inverness.
Hot breakfast rolls, pastries, cakes and biscuits are among the huge variety on offer at Harry Gow using recipes honed and perfected over six generations.
Nearly 20,000 people follow the business on Facebook alone and it has been awarded a string of accolades over the years. The brand is a Highland institution.
But with Greggs standing as the largest bakery chain in the UK, how do its products compare?
We decided to pit the two against each other in our latest Drive-Thru Diners instalment and picked up a selection of goods from Harry Gow Bakery on Kingsmill Road in Inverness and a nearby Greggs at the Esso Kessock Service Station.
Harry Gow
The order:
Greggs
The order:
Verdict: Steak pie vs steak bake
Visually, this steak pie was one of the most appealing I had seen to date. Julia and I were quick to compliment its golden brown shade and the evidently crispy puff pastry on the top.
But they weren’t the only things that impressed us, it was also an enticingly hefty size.
There was a decent amount of filling inside which consisted of a rich, thick gravy and melt-in-the-mouth steak chunks. These fell apart with ease – no fatty bits were in sight, result.
Both pastries were well cooked, too. The only downside was the practicality. It would be impossible to eat this bake on the go without spilling the contents or decorating your car seats with crumbs.
The Greggs steak bake was the opposite in terms of practicality. It was easy to eat and little to no mess was made.
The exterior looked appealing enough to want to tuck in. However, the flavours were severely lacking in comparison to its rival in both the pastry and filling.
Nevertheless, we thought the pastry-to-filling ratio was sound, and given its price, we couldn’t complain.
Harry Gow’s steak pie
Presentation
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 4.5/5
Taste
Julia: 4.5/5
Karla: 4/5
Greggs’ steak bake
Presentation
Julia: 3.5/5
Karla: 3/5
Taste
Julia: 3/5
Karla: 3/5
Verdict: Sausage rolls
The Harry Gow sausage roll was just as appealing as the steak pie. The bakery has its egg wash technique perfected, to say the least.
Again, the bake was messy, but that failed to hinder how much we enjoyed it. The sausage itself was large and earthy to taste with hints of salt and pepper.
It was also soft and fluffy in texture.
You can see in these pictures alone just how different the Greggs sausage roll was.
Extremely pale in appearance, there was little sausage inside and Julia pointed out the extensive gap between the sausage and pastry when looking inside the treat.
The flavour was disappointing, too. Perhaps we should have picked up the popular vegan alternative, but sampling the meat quality was a must.
Harry Gow’s sausage roll
Presentation
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 4.5/5
Taste
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 4/5
Greggs’ sausage roll
Presentation
Julia: 2/5
Karla: 2/5
Taste
Julia: 2/5
Karla: 1.5/5
Dream ring vs caramel custard doughnut
If you speak to any fan of Harry Gow it won’t be long until they tell you of their love of the dream ring – two sponge rings separated by a cream filling and topped with icing.
First things first, the bake was large – much like the two savoury items we tried beforehand. However, we knew it wouldn’t be overly filling given its light weight.
The ring itself was a peculiar texture with Julia flagging its similarity to a bap/bun. Yes, it was airy and fluffy, but the sweet element was lacking.
Where it wasn’t lacking was in the silky whipped cream inside the ring and in the icing sugar on top. They made up for this to an extent.
The caramel custard doughnut from Greggs was definitely the sweeter of the two with each part – including the dough, custard and icing – exuding it.
The doughnut was enough to demand a second bite. The caramel icing was rich and sticky and featured lines of dark chocolate that elevated it further. The sweetness did have a slightly artificial taste, but it was great.
My only concern would have been the lack of custard in the interior of my half of the treat. Julia didn’t have this problem, but doughnuts with a sufficient and even amount of custard inside are always a straight-up winner.
Harry Gow’s dream ring
Presentation
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 4/5
Taste
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 3/5
Greggs’ caramel custard doughnut
Presentation
Julia: 3/5
Karla: 3/5
Taste
Julia: 3/5
Karla: 3.5/5
Fern cake vs peach melba
The fern cake really took me by surprise. I didn’t know what to expect, but the sweet and sturdy pastry shell contained jam, frangipane and icing.
There was the perfect amount of each component and Julia was chuffed with how mess-free the cake was.
When I return to a Harry Gow branch, this will be at the top of my list of items to buy.
The Greggs treat we sampled to compare was their peach melba – a bake that’s only available in a select few stores.
It featured two pieces of peach coated in a light syrup, which tasted divine, along with sweetened cream and a colourful fondant.
The pastry didn’t taste fully cooked, but overall, we weren’t mad about its taste.
Harry Gow’s fern cake
Presentation
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 4/5
Taste
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 4.5/5
Greggs’ peach melba
Presentation
Julia: 3/5
Karla: 3/5
Taste
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 3.5/5
The overall winner of the Harry Gow vs Greggs showdown was Harry Gow receiving a total of 65/80, while Greggs received 44/80.
Can you think of any local venues or dishes you would like the Drive-Thru Diners to try?
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