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The Festive Bake was welcomed back to Newcastle by a self-confessed Greggs 'Superfan' who carried a pasty-themed 'Olympic torch' to Northumberland street to mark the occasion.

Yes, really.

Gemma Graham, from Washington, nominated herself to be Newcastle's 'Greggs Superfan' and was chosen to lift a giant Festive Bake torch into Northumberland Street's Greggs , where the Festive Bake was launched for 2019. The Christmas dinner pasty is available in the Northumberland Street shop a week ahead of its general release, after customers voted for Newcastle to be the city to get the snack first.

(Image: Dan Rowlands / SWNS.com)

Gemma likes Greggs so much that her nickname at work is '3G' - Gemma 'Greggs' Graham. She earned the nickname as she eats at Greggs at least four times a week. In 2017, '3G' arranged a 'pasty-off', where colleagues brought in two of every flavour of Greggs pasty and voted for the best. The winner? The Festive Bake.

As a Superfan, Gemma also received a £100 Greggs gift card and a bespoke Greggs Super Fan hoodie.

In Newcastle, 500 Festive Bakes were handed out on Northumberland Street on Friday, shortly before Fenwick unveiled its 2019 Christmas Window .

The pasties will be available nationwide from Friday November 7.