Aussies still hungry for hot cross buns

As Easter rolls around, hot cross bun mania has once again hit Australia, with Coles preparing to sell more than 55 million of the seasonal staple — enough to fill more than a quarter of a million Coles shopping trolleys.

According to Coles’ research, Victoria is leading the charge as Australia’s hot cross bun capital, with more than 10 million buns already sold across the state’s Coles supermarkets, followed by New South Wales (9 million) and Queensland (8.5 million).

A wide range of flavour options is available this Easter, including traditional fruit, chocolate, gluten-free and fruit-free varieties, alongside a selection of limited-edition flavours.

Two in five customers (40%) continue to choose traditional fruit hot cross buns, followed by Coles choc chip hot cross bun varieties. Coles has used more than 568 tonnes of fruit mix across its hot cross bun range to meet demand this Easter.

“Hot cross buns are a simple Easter ritual Australians look forward to each year, and our data shows there’s no single way to enjoy them, whether warmed in the microwave, toasted, or eaten straight from the pack,” said Brad Gorman, Coles General Manager for Bakery, Dairy and Frozen.

“This year we’re offering our biggest hot cross bun range yet, from traditional fruit favourites to chocolate and limited-edition flavours for customers to try.”

Gorman said the Coles bakery team spends months developing the range, with planning for new flavours starting more than a year in advance.

Image courtesy of Coles.