CHOICE awards Coles chocolate and traditional hot cross buns best on ground. 
The taste test of hot cross buns, conducted by independent consumer group CHOICE, has named Coles’ chocolate and traditional fruit hot cross buns the top picks in the country.
The CHOICE blind taste test showed Coles won in both the chocolate and fruit hot cross bun categories, with Coles’ chocolate hot cross buns ranked number one at 84% and Coles’ traditional fruit hot cross buns at 80%. Both buns wowed the judging panel on appearance, aroma, texture and flavour, and beat some admirable rivals on price and value at $3.50 per six pack.
Coles General Manager for Bakery, Deli and Seafood, Andy Mossop said Coles was delighted with the blind taste test results, proving that Coles has the best buns this Easter.
“Receiving this honourable recognition by CHOICE further proves we have some very special hot cross buns at Coles, and it’s testament to our hardworking bakers and teams who come into work each day kneading the perfect mix to create our mouth-watering buns for our customers to enjoy this Easter,” he said.
“Our award-winning Coles traditional hot cross buns continue to have the highest percentage of 100% Aussie fruit of 27% in each individual bun, making them extra plump and juicy.
“For our truly irresistible Coles Chocolate Hot Cross Buns, we have sourced cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Our customers can be assured that not only are our buns delicious but through our sustainable practices we are creating better opportunities for farmers and safeguarding the environment for the future.”
CHOICE food editor, Rachel Clemons said, “Coles was clearly the winner in our testing this year, with their hot cross buns coming first in both the chocolate and traditional fruit categories.
“Our experts really liked the Coles traditional fruit bun, praising it for its shiny colour and bouncy texture. If you like quite a lot of fruit in your hot cross bun, this one’s for you. The Coles chocolate hot cross bun is great for the chocolate fiends out there. You get a good chocolate hit from this one, with lots of chocolate chips evident.
“Our experts blind taste tested all 21 hot cross buns, and scored them on flavour, appearance, aroma and texture. We set up our experts in the CHOICE kitchen lab and provided them with the hot cross bun samples in a randomised order, which is different for each expert. Our experts have over 80 years’ experience in the food industry between them, so they’re the perfect people to test out these Easter treats.”
Coles has already sold more than 30 million hot cross buns nationally since Boxing Day 2020 when they had arrived at Coles supermarkets nationally.
Coles prides itself on using only “100% Australian fruit” in its traditional hot cross buns grown by Australian farmers like Ashley Johnstone from the Sunraysia region in Victoria. “Coles’ traditional 100% Aussie fruit hot cross buns are the only buns that have been CHOICE Recommended every year in their four years of blind taste-testing hot cross buns[1].”
This year, Coles has introduced three new limited-edition flavours to spice up its core range of hot cross buns:
- Brioche Rich & Fruity, made with real butter and eggs blended with currants, sultanas and cranberries
- Sticky Date & Butterscotch, sweet indulgent buns packed with sticky Persian dates and sumptuous butterscotch chunks
- Raspberry & White Chocolate, sweet soft buns blended with raspberry and apple flavoured fruit pieces and white chocolate.
The new flavours are available at Coles for $3.50 per 4-pack.
[1] CHOICE conducted independent blind taste-tests for hot cross buns in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and Coles traditional 100% fruit hot cross buns were recommended each year.