General News
14 April, 2022
Locally Consumed In Excess Of 500,000 Hot Cross Buns
EASTER is coming this weekend which means Far North Queensland’s families will celebrate with the classic Aussie Easter snacks like warm hot cross buns with butter, seafood galore and the unmissable chocolate eggs and bunnies.
When it comes to Easter, Queenslanders seem to have a favourite: Hot Cross Buns.
Since Boxing Day, Australians have consumed 55 million hot cross buns, with Queensland as one of the top states in hot cross buns purchases, following Victoria.
Queenslanders consumed 27% of the total of hot cross buns nationwide, translating to 12 million buns.
Far North Queensland particularly has a knack for the tasty treat as Cairns locals, including shoppers from the Coles shops in Earlville, Cairns Central and Clifton Beach, have purchased 449,000 hot cross buns since Boxing Day.
Store Manager at Coles Cairns Central Arnon Itzhayek said the hot cross buns are a store favourite.
“People are loving our hot cross buns,” Mr Itzhayek said.
“Of course it is that time of the year, but people are always asking us if we can have them all year round. I wish we could.
“Sales are really good, we have good availability, and our bakers are doing a wonderful job.”
Coles’ award-winning range of hot cross buns were voted the best in the nation by Canstar Blue 2021 for the second year in a row.
This year there is also a more extensive catalogue of flavours like traditional, fruitless, gluten-free, salted caramel, chocolate, apple and cinnamon, raspberry and white chocolate and even jalapeno and cheese.
“We have a great variety of hot cross buns this year,” Mr Itzhayek said.
“The traditional ones are still the most popular, but we also have fruitless and all sorts of varieties.
“This year, the chocolate hot cross buns have been extremely popular as well.”
But it is not only a big season for hot cross buns; Mr Itzhayek said they also expected to see significant sales in seafood and chocolate.
“Seafood will be a strong contender for the hot cross buns on Saturday,” he said.
“And, of course, chocolate can’t go without a rabbit, can you?”
According to Coles Australia, Easter is one of the biggest seasons for the shops, with huge seafood and shellfish sales.
This Easter, Coles is expecting to sell nationwide:
• More than 350 tonnes of fresh seafood including prawns, salmon and barramundi which is on average a 200% increase on a normal week.
• 130,000 kgs of salmon, sourced from Tasmania.
• 10,0000 kgs of barramundi in the three days leading up to Easter.
• More than 200,000 kgs of raw banana prawns, fresh black tiger prawns and cooked black tiger prawns in Easter week.
• Thousands of rock lobsters at $22 per lobster.
• More than 10,000,000 hot cross buns, in addition to the 55 million buns that have been sold across the country since Boxing Day.
• More than 15 million chocolate Easter eggs and 8 million Easter bunnies.
Bottleshops will also see an increase in purchases of white wine, which Australians most prefer to accompany seafood.
Coles General Manager for Bakery, Deli and Seafood, Andy Mossop, said it was essential to reflect on customer sentiments as they head into the second busiest period of the year.
“We started Easter specials on our hot cross buns and confectionary early this year to help customers spread the cost of the entertaining season,” Mr Mossop said.
“These include two packs of hot cross buns for $6 and half-price specials on chocolate bunnies and eggs, perfect for family Easter egg hunts.
“We are ready for a massive week of seafood sales with customers buying 200% more fresh seafood than any other week of the year.”
This weekend Far North Queensland will see families from all around the region enjoy their Easter with seafood meals, chocolate egg hunts and buttered hot cross buns.
