How long do Wakefield folk have to work to afford a sausage roll?

The study was carried out by senior independent economist John Hawksworth on behalf of InvestingReviews.co.uk to exposes the regional inequalities that persist despite the government’s flagship levelling-up agenda.

Mr Hawksworth found the hardest earned sausage rolls were in Lichfield (4mins and 54secs) with Londoners only having to work 2mins and 54secs to afford one.

Wakefield came in at 76th with a time of 4mins and 21secs.

The Greggs Sausage Roll Index is loosely modelled on the famous Big Mac Index published by The Economist since 1986 to measure purchasing power across different nations. InvestingReviews.co.uk chose the humble sausage roll as its yardstick because, like the Big Mac, it is a standardised product sold by the same provider on every high street.

Greggs sells approximately 2.5million sausage rolls a week across more than 2,000 shops with takeaway sausage rolls typically priced at £1.05.

InvestingReviews.co.uk CEO Simon Jones said: “Amid all the government’s talk of levelling up, a great divide still exists across Great Britain today with Greggs customers in some parts typically having to work 65% longer than Londoners just to be able to afford a sausage roll.

“As the cost of living squeeze continues to intensify, Brits are going to have to work a lot harder in the future to afford life’s simple pleasures.

“The government is going to have to take urgent action if their flagship policy doesn’t become a millstone around their neck.”