High street giant crowned best for hot cross buns in blind taste test beating Aldi and Lidl

A HIGH street giant’s hot cross buns have been crowned the best in a taste test, beating Aldi and Lidl to top spot.

Which? carried out a blind taste test of eight major supermarket’s buns, with M&S’s voted the winner.

Collage of various packages of hot cross buns. — Which? carried out a blind taste test of supermarket hot cross buns ahead of Easter

The panel was asked to rate each in terms of flavour, aroma, appearance and texture.

And the group of tasters hired by the consumer website gave the retailer’s luxury fruited hot cross buns an overall score of 73%.

The pack of four, £2, were deemed fruity and well-spiced, with three quarters impressed by the buns’ moist texture.

They are however the joint most expensive out of the eight tested.

Coming in second was Co-op’s Irresistible richly fruited luxury hot cross buns with a 69% score, costing £2 for a pack of four.

Which? tasters loved the enticing aroma and moistness of these buns.

They were also some of the best-rated in terms of sweetness and spice level, with the majority saying they had a well-balanced flavour.

They’re also lower in sugar content compared to most of the other supermarket options included in the test.

In third place came Aldi’s Specially Selected luxury fruited hot cross buns with a score of 66%, priced at £1.39 for a pack of four.

The budget-friendly option impressed the group of tasters and also earned a Which? Great Value recommendation.

Items to always buy at Lidl

The panel found they were not as moist as some of the others tested, with over 40% finding them too dry.

However, they ranked well on flavour and appearance and the majority thought they had an ample amount of fruit inside.

Upmarket supermarket Waitrose’s Richly Fruited hot cross buns scored 66%, putting them in joint third position. The pack of four costs £1.95.

Most Which? testers were satisfied with the amount of fruit and soft texture of the buns, but half said the flavour was lacking slightly.

How did the other supermarkets fare?

Sainsbury’s came fifth in the taste test, with a slightly lower 65% score for its Taste the Difference fruity hot cross buns. A four-pack sets you back £1.80.

The panel of tasters rated them fairly well overall, saying they contained a good amount of fruit.

But more than a third found them lacking in spice and sweetness.

Next was Asda, whose Exceptional extra fruity hot cross buns were given a 64% overall score.

Most tasters enjoyed the moist texture of the buns but half said the spice was too weak.

Shoppers can pick up a pack of four for £1.80.

Tesco’s Finest Extra fruity hot cross buns scored the same as Asda, with a 64% rating, costing £1.80 per four-pack.

The panel said they weren’t bad overall but almost half thought they were not moist enough.

Morrisons’s The Best extra fruity hot cross buns came bottom of the pack with a 61% score.

Half said the spice flavour was too weak and 45% said they were too dry. Packs of four cost £1.80.

Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: “Whether you opt for a classic lightly toasted hot cross bun with a generous amount of butter or you’re a more adventurous type who plans to eat hot cross bun bacon butties this Easter, our taste tests reveal which supermarket buns are worth snapping up.

“Fruity, moist and well-spiced, M&S hot cross buns were rated a cut above most other supermarkets but those looking for a budget-friendly bun could do worse than head to Aldi where both flavour and appearance were also well liked.”

It comes after Which? tasters crowned Morrisons’s thick cut Seville Orange marmalade the winner in a taste test of breakfast spreads.