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Glasgow Live

Entertainment

Sophie Buchan

Marks and Spencer hailed as 'champions' in hot cross buns Easter taste test

Marks Marks and Spencer Spencer (Organization) Sainsbury Asda Iceland

Marks and Spencer have come out on top alongside Asda for their Easter treats, with the retailers being hailed for their luxury hot cross buns as well as other budget sweet treats.

It comes after The Good Housekeeping Institute released the results of its Easter 2023 taste test, rating Easter eggs, hot cross buns as well as meat, seafood and vegetarian centrepieces for Easter Sunday.

To take part, brands and supermarkets were invited to send in their best Easter products which were evaluated by Good Housekeeping - and they had a lot of entrants with a total of 166 products taste tested and reviewed.

To put it to the test and to avoid any bias, products were initially shortlisted by an expert panel and later blind tested with the panel asked to consider the product's appearance, aroma, texture, and most importantly, flavour, before giving their score.

So who else came out on top, and if you're looking for the best of the best, where should you shop? Here's what you need to know.

Hot Cross Buns

Marks and Spencer

The much-loved retailer took the top spot for their hot cross buns this year thanks to their M&S Luxury Fruited Hot Cross Buns.

The winning buns cost £1.85 for a four pack and thanks to the panel, scored 86/100.

Taste testers were impressed with the buns’ near-perfect texture which is said to be light and fluffy with a lightly crisped glazed top, and to make it even better, the burst of vine fruit.

You can purchase the buns via the Ocado website or pick them up in-store.

Sainsbury's

For those looking for something a little different, try Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Lemon Curd & White Chocolate hot cross buns.

For just £1.65 you can pick up a four pack, with the hot cross buns having been awarded best flavoured buns scoring 83/100.

When it came to the best flavour, M&S’s Banoffee Hot Cross Buns came a close second and the runner-up in this category, with testers loving the distinctive banana note and chewy toffee chunks.

You can purchase the buns via the Sainsbury's website or pick them up in-store.

Iceland

Coming in second place for the best traditional buns is Iceland with their four pack costing £1.

Scoring 80/100 the treats proved popular thanks to their richly spiced flavour, reminiscent of Germany’s Christmas lebkuchen cookies.

Not only did it come in second place, they have also been awarded the best budget buy.

You can purchase the buns via the Iceland website or pick them up in-store.

Lidl

Lidl's Apple and Cinnamon hot cross buns are also a great budget buy, scoring 74/100, with taste testers choosing this as another great buy if you don't want to spend too much cash.

You can purchase the buns by picking them up in-store.

Gluten-free Hot Cross Buns

When it comes to gluten-free options, you don't need to miss out with M&S coming out on out top with their Gluten Free Fruited Hot Cross Buns.

Sainsbury’s also did well in this taste taste with their Taste the Difference Free From Caramel and Chocolate Hot Cross Buns.

Callum Black, Food & Drink Testing Manager at the Good Housekeeping Institute said: “We started preparing for the Easter taste test back in December, and I’m pleased to say the results prove you needn’t spend a lot for a feast to remember. With the cost-of-living crisis still driving our shopping habits, we’re proud to have included a budget option in every category.

When it comes to roast dinner centrepieces, our winners reflect the best of British produce, at a price point to suit all. And elsewhere we were delighted to see our top-rated Easter eggs had an ethical and sustainable focus — something we hope to see more of in future testing.”