Devotees of the high street bakery Greggs have had a lightbulb moment, finally deciphering the cryptic code printed on the lids of their beloved fresh soup pots.
The Soup Sticker Riddle
The discovery began to spread after a curious customer took to Reddit to solve a lunchtime puzzle. They had picked up a pot of tomato soup around midday and noticed the number '1' on a circular sticker was crossed out. The sticker itself features the numbers one to twelve, each separated by a smaller '30'.
The poster asked if the digits related to "times of the day" or a "consume by" deadline, sparking a wave of clarification from more knowledgeable shoppers and even Greggs staff members.
A System for Safety and Freshness
As commenters swiftly explained, the crossed-out number is not a best-before date in the traditional sense. Instead, it acts as a precise timer for food safety. The number indicates the hour by which that particular batch of soup must be sold and removed from the heated cabinet.
"It's to keep track of what time soup was made so they can bin it after the legal requirement for it to be safe to buy," one person clarified. Another added it was a "quality thing," noting the items are safe after the time but may not be at their best.
In the case of the Reddit user, the crossed-out '1' meant the soup was cooked earlier that morning and would need to be discarded at 1pm if unsold, as it would no longer be held at a safe temperature.
How Greggs Manages Hot Food
A Greggs employee confirmed the system, noting it applies to all hot food items like chicken goujons and hot sandwiches, not just soup. The rule exists because Greggs keeps these products in heated cabinets after cooking, which slows but does not stop the cooling process. Regulations dictate they can only be sold for a set period while safely hot.
The employee also pointed out the separate "date dots" found on items like mince pies and cookies. These use numbers 1-7 to correspond to days of the week (Monday-Sunday) for best-before guidance, useful for customers planning purchases a few days ahead.
This system highlights a key difference in how Greggs handles its menu. Freshly baked items like sausage rolls and pastries are not kept on heated shelves. This is partly a cost decision, as VAT applies to food kept hot for sale, which would increase the price. The trade-off is that customers must time their visit well to get a piping-hot bake, rather than one that's lukewarm.
So, next time you grab a comforting pot of soup from Greggs, you'll know the circled number is the shop's countdown clock, ensuring you get a safe, warm, and quality lunch.
