Easter is just a couple of weeks away, meaning you've probably started to see some common treats popping up on shop shelves like eggs and novelty chocolate. And one of the most popular snacks at this time of year is the hot cross bun - fluffy, spiced cakes packed with citrus, dried fruits and bearing the familiar cross shape on the surface.
So if you want to stock up for any guests you have coming over for Easter, or you just want to treat yourself, it could be useful to know which supermarket stocks the 'best' ones in terms of taste. Thankfully, consumer experts at Which? have carried out a test to determine just that - and the winning buns cost just 40p each.
In the test, 75 hot cross bun enthusiasts carried out blind tasting sessions on 10 different supermarket offerings from the likes of Morrisons, Asda, M&S and more. And the winners were Asda's 'Extra Special' Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns, with a score of 75 percent from the participants.
A pack of four costs £1.60, meaning that each bun costs just 40p each. They scored high marks for appearance, aroma, flavour and texture, giving them the well-deserved title of Best Buy.
Their appearance was rated the best among all other buns with one taster describing them as a "lovely golden colour". Also achieving the same score were the Marks and Spencer Luxury Hot Cross Buns.
The aroma, flavour and texture of these buns were scored just as highly as Asda's Best Buy buns, making them a great choice for M&S shoppers this Easter. They're a little more expensive than Asda's offering at £1.85 per pack, but they're still a great alternative.
Other supermarket hot cross buns were included in the test, although they scored slightly less in certain categories. For example, Morrisons' 'The Best' Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns were scored well for their flavour and aroma, but their appearance didn't quite match up to Asda's and there was a lack of fruit content.
And Co-op's Irresistible Limited Edition Richly Fruited Hot Cross Buns were thought to have lower levels of spice, although they still scored highly for texture, aroma and flavour.
You can check out the full hot cross bun rankings here.
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