Trying to get tickets to see the Bayeux has been harder than getting tickets to see Taylor Swift, it seems. With blocks selling out in seconds, over 200,000 people in online queues to see it, it's hard to see how people in the North East could see a beautifully embroidered work of art detailing an important historical event any time soon.

But good news, they won't have to go to London or even pay for tickets to see it. Greggs has crafted a tapestry detailing the history of the iconic Sausage Roll, and has now put it on display at the Great North Museum: Hancock.

The 8-metre embroidered artwork detailing the history of the Greggs Sausage Roll in "Ta-Pastry" has come home to Newcastle. First launched at London's Design Museum in June to commemorate National Sausage Roll Day, thousands turned out to view the needlepoint work up close.

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Drawing inspiration from the landmark return of the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry to the UK last month for the first time in almost a millennium, this local edition provides an arguably more significant account of history to North East viewers. With Bayeux Tapestry tickets currently sold out nationwide until January, the Great North Museum: Hancock is bringing a monumental piece of world-class embroidery directly to Tyneside.

The Greggs ‘Ta-Pastry’ is on display in the museum at the same time as a 174-year-old, hand-drawn version of the Bayeux Tapestry created by Newcastle schoolboys. This is one of the rarer full-scale copies of the Bayeux Tapestry that still exists, hand-drawn on paper in pen and ink and coloured with watercolour paints. Popular sections of the tapestry, such as the defeat of King Harold, have been highlighted in the museum.

Greggs wanted to ensure the story of such a legendary pastry was brought to life with utmost care and quality. The bakery partnered with master atelier Hawthorne & Heaney, Royal embroiderers, renowned for high-precision military and ceremonial needlework.

The tapestry took over 200+ Hours of painstaking needlecraft, with 5,521,238 individual stitches across 8 metres of cotton canvas. Over 40 Kilometres of thread was used on the fabric, including specially dyed thread colours Greggs Blue and Pastry Gold.

The piece is rendered in authentic medieval style, complete with traditional border motifs and satirical Latin framing. The six chapters chart the Sausage Roll’s journey through decades of cultural change and quiet consistency:

I: Ortus Primus: Founder John Gregg riding through Newcastle on his trusty delivery bike, with the Tyne Bridge looming proudly in the background.
II: Fabricatio Lucanicae Crusulo: Post-war bakers perfecting the art of rolling golden, savoury comfort for a rebuilding nation.
III: Rotulus Omnia Aevia Perdurat: The Sausage Roll remaining an unshakeable constant through decades of national triumphs, from '66 to 2012.
IV: Magna Divisio: The headline-grabbing 2019 media storm sparked when a live TV tasting split the public over the Vegan Sausage Roll.
V: Legenda Nova: The rise of 2020s brand fandom, immortalising super-fans wearing blue-and-gold streetwear and sporting sausage roll haircuts.
VI: Victor Mundi: A global success story celebrating a bake now enjoyed over a million times every single day.

We spoke to Great North Museums director Keith Merrin: "Of course, the Bayeux Tapestry is one of the world's great treasures, over 1,000 years old and back in the UK for the first time. But we feel that the Greggs Ta-Pastry is just as important a cultural artefact in the North East.

"With the visit of the Bayeux Tapestry back to the UK, we thought there was a real opportunity to do two things. First of all, we brought out a Victorian copy of the Bayeux Tapestry made by schoolboys in the 1850s.

"But as soon as we heard Greggs were commissioning their own tapestry, we thought 'we've got to have that, back in Newcastle for the people of the North East to see.' Not everyone is going to get a ticket to see the Bayeux Tapestry in London, but everybody can come here for free and see the great Greggs Ta-Pastry any time they like."

Describing the care and attention that went into the Ta-Pastry, Merrin said: "It was a huge undertaking. This wasn't just laser-printed and knocked up for marketing purposes, this is something where a lot of love and a lot of work has gone into it."

Zoe Harris, Customer Director at Greggs, said: “The Sausage Roll is woven into the very fabric of British culture, but its heart will always belong to the Northeast.

"Just as the Bayeux Tapestry captured a defining moment in history, this 200-hour hand-stitched masterpiece is a fitting tribute to one of Britain’s best-loved icons. At the Great North Museum: Hancock, the Ta-Pastry celebrates both craftsmanship and the Northeast roots of the Greggs Sausage Roll, because some legends deserve more than just a paper bag."

Malavika Anderson, Museum Manager at the Great North Museum: Hancock, added: "We're very excited to welcome this modern piece of Northern pop-culture heritage to the Great North Museum: Hancock. It offers visitors a brilliant, playful contrast to the ancient collections, and we expect it to be a huge hit with families and culture lovers alike."

The Greggs Ta-Pastry is on show at the Great North Museum: Hancock until the end of January, with free entry.