Coles is preparing to sell more than 55 million hot cross buns this Easter, said to be enough to fill more than a quarter of a million Coles shopping trolleys.
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 NSW (nine million) and Queensland (8.5 million).
The table below shows how many buns have already been sold in each state:
| Victoria | 10 million buns |
| NSW | 9 million buns |
| Queensland | 8.5 million buns |
| Western Australia | 5 million buns |
| South Australia | 3 million buns |
| Tasmania | 1 million buns |
| ACT | 650,000 buns |
| Northern Territory | 300,000 buns |
When it comes to flavour, Australians are sticking with the classics. Two in five surveyed customers (40%) continue to choose traditional fruit hot cross buns, followed by Coles choc chip hot cross bun varieties.
Nearly one in three surveyed customers (32%) prefer to heat their hot cross buns in the microwave, edging out the toaster (29%), while a quarter admit they can’t wait and eat them fresh straight from the packet.
To meet demand this Easter, Coles has used more than 568 tonnes of fruit mix across its hot cross bun range.
Coles General Manager for Bakery, Dairy and Frozen, Brad Gorman, says hot cross buns remain one of the most anticipated Easter traditions.
“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,” he says.
“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.
“Our bakery team spends months developing the range, and planning for new flavours starts more than a year in advance.”
