The Ultimate Hot Cross Bun Tasting in 2025:
It's that time of year again! With Easter around the corner, we gathered the entire office for a blind hot cross bun tasting to find out which store bakes the best buns. This year, we kept it simple, focusing on traditional and extra-spice varieties—no chocolate or other flavors. We also put in-house brands to the test, bringing our total to a whopping 10 contenders to sample.
The contenders for Hot Cross Buns are:
- Checkers Traditional
- Woolworths Extra Spice
- Pick n Pay Traditional
- Spar In-House Traditional
- Pick n Pay Extra Spice
- Woolworths Traditional
- Spar Traditional
- Foodlovers In-House Traditional
- Fournos
- Pick n Pay In-House Traditional
A significant amount of preparation went into the event. Each pack of buns was toasted, buttered, and then cut into quarters quickly to ensure they remained warm for the tasting. Toasting and perfectly buttering 50 buns was a notable challenge, particularly with our resident “Butter Lover” in attendance. One bun was left uncut to allow participants to evaluate its overall appearance, and every sample was carefully plated and labeled from A to J.
The Hot Cross Buns Were Scored On Five Key Factors:
- Fruit Content
- Flavour
- Appearance
- Aroma
- Texture
After tasting, all participating staff members would score the hot cross bun. The scores were averaged and the results crunched. We selected a few people to provide some additional commentary.
Sheilza: I don't remember, it went down so quickly
Let the tasting begin!
Checkers Traditional (2nd) – R5.83 per bun
A solid standard hot cross bun, that both looked good and delivered on flavour and price although not the top performer, they proved to be a solid mid‐range contender.
Score: 6.58/10
Thobile: “Nice appearance and soft texture”
Argentum: “Just okay”
Sheilza: “Melted in well”
Toaster: “Standard, lacking flavor but good texture. Lacking glaze.”
Bun Analyst: “Well balanced”
Woolworths Extra Spice (3rd) – R7.17 per bun
This got mixed reviews with some loving the texture but most complained about lack of fruit and some even found it lacking spice.
Score: 6.51/10
Thobile: “Tastes nice, good appearance, texture was hard”
Argentum: “Well balanced, a nice fruity aftertaste, a bit dry”
Sheilza: “Tasty”
Toaster: “Could use more spice, had the dense texture and lacked a bit of fruit”
Bun Analyst: “Weak sauce”
Traditional Woolworths (4th) – R7.17 per bun
Representing Woolies’ more classic offering, this bun scored modestly with mixed reviews on texture and spice.
Score: 6.48/10
Hungry Wombat: “Less bready”
Argentum: “Enjoyable fruity flavor, balanced well”
Sheilza: “More subtle/plain, my taste buds are done”
Toaster: “Good, wanted more spice. Liked it. It was a bit fluffy”
Bun Analyst: “Fruit would be balanced if the fruit tasted better”
Pick n Pay Traditional (1st) – R6.67 per bun
Stealing the spotlight, Pick n Pay’s Traditional excelled in every department. Boasting generous fruit content, a well-balanced spice mix, and a delightfully soft texture – a hit with fans of a classic recipe. This score was significantly higher than the others.
Score: 7.23/10
Flamingo: “Best, nice hint of citrus and cinnamon”
Thobile: “Different taste, good texture and aroma”
Argentum: “Very good marmalade taste”
Sheilza: “Could not taste the real hot cross bun”
Toaster: “Maybe too much fruit but good. Can't judge texture because so fruity. A winner for me.”
Bun Analyst: “Tasty goodness”
Pick n Pay Extra Spice (6th) – R6.67 per bun
The extra spice variant from Pick n Pay offered a spicier twist—while not quite as highly ranked as its Woolies counterpart or even the traditional, it still brought some intriguing flavors to the table.
Score: 6.18/10
Hungry Wombat: “Also bready, much tastier and fruitier”
Thobile: “Hard texture, more fruits and good aroma”
Argentum: “Has the ideal bun flavor but the bun is muted”
Llama: “Looks very sad”
Sheilza: “Lingers in my taste buds”
Toaster: “Tasted good, needed more fruit. Love-hate the dense texture”
Bun Analyst: “Fruit not fruiting”
Spar In-House Traditional (8th) – R5.83 per bun
From our local Sunninghill Spar’s in-store, in-house creation managed to secure a respectable position in the In-House category despite some reservations about its texture and rather sad looking with its lack of glaze.
Score: 6.02/10
Hungry Wombat: “Bready”
Thobile: “Everything is good and unique. The texture is hard”
Argentum: “Has a bit of a playdough taste but the cross is flavored”
Llama: “Don't judge a bun by its flour”
Sheilza: “I don’t remember, went down quickly”
Toaster: “Just tastes like bread with a token raisin”
Bun Analyst: “Tastes more like toast than hot cross bun”
Spar Traditional (5th) – R6.67 per bun
Spar’s more traditional offering didn’t quite dazzle, coming in lower in the Traditional rankings, with feedback pointing to a less impressive flavor and texture balance.
Score: 6.39/10
Hungry Wombat: “Swallowed it whole, a bit meh”
Thobile: “Soft texture, few fruits, good flavor”
Argentum: “Not standard flavor but still enjoyable”
Butter: “Moist”
Sheilza: “Just ok”
Toaster: “Weird flavor, couldn’t put my finger on it, chewy surprisingly, and smelled old. Not great.”
Bun Analyst: “How did it take flavor out of my mouth”
Foodlovers In-House Traditional (7th) – R3.33 per bun
Despite the attractive price per bun, Foodlovers’ in-house variant led its group – a mixed bag of impressions that made it the top In-House choice, from the Foodlovers at Chilli On Top.
Score: 6.06/10
Hungry Wombat: “Worst so far”
Argentum: “A bit bitter”
Sheilza: “Soft but doughy”
Toaster: “Tasty. Almost tastes like Easter. Completely lacked fruit though”
Bun Analyst: “Living on the blander side of town”
Fournos Traditional (9th) – R6.58 per bun
Fournos’ entry from Woodmead lagged behind its peers. Despite a promising exterior which was rather darker than others with a decent aroma, many found it lacking in flavor and didn’t quite hit the mark for some tasters.
Score: 5.88/10
Hungry Wombat: “Looks great on the outside, garbage on the inside”
Argentum: “Very muted flavor, not my ideal flavor”
Llama: “Tastes like dog food”
Jane: “Not enough fruit”
Sheilza: “Nothing to comment, just plain aftertaste”
Toaster: “Didn't like it. Weird spice flavor.”
Bun Analyst: “Had potential but didn't pull through”
Pick n Pay In-House Traditional (10th) – R3.83 per bun
Pick n Pay’s in-house bun from Chilli Lane rounded out the In-House category. Its lower score was echoed by several reviewers who weren’t convinced by its spice balance. Although its appearance was passable, it underperformed in flavor and texture. Many agreed that despite its attractive price point, it just couldn’t deliver the warmth and spice expected of a true hot cross bun.
Score: 5.59/10
Hungry Wombat: “Tastes like they didn’t mix the spice”
Thobile: “Soft texture, few fruits, good flavor”
Argentum: “No fruitiness, but the spice is quite nice and warm”
Jane: “Do not like this one”
Sheilza: “Dry, not as tasty but texture great”
Toaster: “Very subpar”
Bun Analyst: “Weird bitter aftertaste”
The winner, Pick n Pay traditional Hot Cross Buns
| Contenders | Fruit Content | Flavour | Appearance | Aroma | Texture | Price | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checkers Traditional | 6.42 | 6.50 | 6.92 | 6.46 | 6.58 | 5.83 | 6.58 |
| Woolworths Extra Spice | 6.33 | 6.58 | 7.04 | 5.92 | 6.67 | 7.17 | 6.51 |
| Pick n Pay Traditional | 7.33 | 7.42 | 6.92 | 6.58 | 7.92 | 6.67 | 7.23 |
| Spar In-House Traditional | 5.50 | 5.71 | 6.66 | 5.75 | 6.50 | 5.83 | 6.02 |
| Pick n Pay Extra Spice | 6.50 | 6.25 | 6.15 | 5.75 | 6.25 | 6.67 | 6.18 |
| Woolworths Traditional | 6.75 | 6.33 | 7.42 | 5.33 | 6.58 | 7.17 | 6.48 |
| Spar Traditional | 6.83 | 6.21 | 5.75 | 6.25 | 6.92 | 6.67 | 6.39 |
| Foodlovers In-House Traditional | 5.75 | 6.46 | 6.42 | 5.33 | 6.33 | 3.33 | 6.06 |
| Fournos | 5.17 | 5.42 | 6.75 | 6.42 | 5.67 | 6.58 | 5.88 |
| Pick n Pay In-House Traditional | 4.08 | 5.17 | 6.21 | 5.92 | 6.58 | 3.83 | 5.59 |
Final Thoughts
After much debate (and a lot of butter), a clear winner emerged. Pick n Pay’s Traditional hot cross buns took the top spot, impressing the team with their balance of fruit, texture, and overall flavor. Ironically, Pick n Pay also landed at the bottom of the ranking, with its in-house traditional buns failing to make much of an impression.
Interestingly, many of the "extra spice" varieties were criticized for lacking spice, which caught us off guard. The best value-for-money option seemed to be Checkers’ traditional buns—ticking most of the right boxes without a steep price tag. Although if you really looking for a nice budget friendly option Foodlovers In-House Traditional offers affordability without too many frills. Its unbeatable price makes it an attractive option for a simple, no-nonsense treat.
By the end of the tasting, the kitchen was inevitably a mess, but it was well worth it. It was a fun way to bring the team together and with our offices smelling so toasty, it was a great way to start this season.