Hungry shoppers can grab a taste of Christmas on the high street this week.
For popular lunchtime hangouts Pret a Manger and Subway have just launched this year's festive menus - just the thing to perk up your midday meal.
At Subway, which has around 80 outlets in the North East, it's all about the triumphant return of the Tiger Pig Sub - or the Pig in Blanket Sub - after last year's launch.
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Featuring a giant pig in blanket on tiger bread, this year's recipe has loaded more maple syrup and bacon into the sub, and added a drizzle of ketchup.
In stores until 28 December, customers can choose between a 6” Sub or Footlong sub, or, if that's too much, a salad or a wrap.
This year's festive menu also features a new Brie Stack and , for those looking for a more traditional option, a Turkey SubStack with added hash browns.
The seasonal Chocolate Orange Cookie is also back - and available in Subway's 12-cookie boxes.
Anyone buying a Tiger Pig Sub will also get a free pair of limited-edition Subway Tiger Pig socks on Friday, December 3 and Saturday, December 4.
Over at Pret A Manger, in Northumberland Street, Newcastle, you can eat, drink and be merry with sandwiches, hot food, sweet treats and drinks all getting a Christmas sparkle.
Sandwiches include returning favourites the Christmas Lunch sandwich and Christmas Baguette, as well as the Brie, Pistachio & Cranberry Baguette.
If you fancy something hot, the new festive Turkey and Trimmings Toastie may be for you, or another festive newbie, the Christmas Stuffing Mac & Cheese.
Customer favourites the Pigs in Blankets Hot Roll completes the hot food lineup.
Vegans and vegetarians are well catered for with the new Vegan Christmas Flatbread joining the customer favourite The Vegan Christmas Nut Roast this year.
Those sweet toothed diners, Christmas Tiffin and Melvin, Pret's Melting Gingerbread Snowman, alongside Pret’s Mince Pie are returning, joined by the all-new Nutty Salted Caramel Brownie.
Hot drinks on offer for the season are the new Love Bar Latte and Popcorn Bar Hot Chocolate, which join the classis Gingerbread Latte.
If you've more time to linger over lunch, you might want to check out Toby Carvery's Festive Super Pig, measuring just over 30 centimetres, and available November 17 until December 31 in the regions six reastaurants, including MetroCentre and Shiremoor.
With over 750,000 pigs in blankets sold every year at Toby Carvery, the footlong Festive Super Pig can be either eaten as a meal in a roll with accompaniments for £7.49 or as an accompaniment to Toby Carvery’s main food menu, for an additional £5.49.
