Chef Chris Greef, consumer group head Julie Scarr and The Herald Greenacres Miss Port Elizabeth representative Candice Hart made up the panel of three who put Sherwood‘s freshly baked hot cross buns top of their list - followed by Woolworths Extra Spicy in second spot and then Levyvale SuperSpar in third place.
Bakeries were asked to submit buns to Newspaper House for testing and La Femme staff also bought buns from the major supermarket chains and smaller individual bakeries.
“Has no one heard of spice?” asked Greef, who found most of the nine lacking in the vital spices that are meant to go into buns.
As for the Freshline light range, Chris admitted that they tasted good, “but why do they have to look like diet buns?” Lacking glaze, and fairly pale, they did indeed look like they were on a diet.
“So often diet food tastes like sawdust, but this tastes nice,” said Scarr in their defence.
Uitenhage‘s Flamingo bakery was another tasty bun that was let down by its bland appearance. It had lots of fruit and tasted good but the panel commented that it didn't look as appetising as it should.
As for Woolworths, although its extra-spicy hot cross bun was popular, its traditional buns rated only fourth. Scarr in particular commented that these buns were not made with the care expected from this supermarket chain.
“Look, they don‘t have any cross on them,” she pointed out, showing that three of the buns had a “T” instead of ""+”.
In addition, Woolies' miniature traditional buns, although tasty, were voted too expensive as they cost R9,95 for six dinky-size buns.
“That's daylight robbery!” said Scarr, especially when compared to Shoprite's economical full size buns at R7,99 for six.
In addition to nine traditional buns, the panel also sampled a few speciality buns that included chocolate chip hot cross buns from Checkers and Spar, and Spar's caramel pecan nut hot cross buns.
Hart gave them the thumbs-down.
“You do not make chocolate chip hot cross buns - that is a total waste because you can‘t eat them with your pickled fish!
“In the coloured community we don't eat bread at Easter, just hot cross buns and it just wouldn‘t taste right,” she said.
However, they would probably be a hit with children who did not enjoy dried fruit.
Thanks to the bakeries that sent in buns, particular Sunridge SuperSpar. You sent down far too many for our panel, though, and will be glad to hear that the 27 hungry boys at Khayalethu Youth Centre - the beneficiary of The Herald Greenacres Miss Port Elizabeth 2008 - thoroughly enjoyed their baker's dozens!
Source: The Herald
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