Christchurch bakery makes best bun

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Kidds Cakes' award winning hot cross buns

A Christchurch bakery is the winner of the Great New Zealand Hot Cross Bun Competition. Kidds Cakes and Bakery on Cranford Street were unanimously chosen by the judges as the clear winner in the competition, which had 68 entries overall from around the country.

Kidds Cakes’ focus on flavour was rewarded, with the judges saying the use of lemon juice to marinate the fruits worked well for both the flavour and the texture of the buns. Chief judge Mike Meaclem of the Baking Industry Association of New Zealand says the buns had a lovely light texture, and a nice bold look to them with a perfect white cross.

The description of the buns, submitted with the entry, read – “Old fashioned hot cross buns hand crafted using a double fermentation process, with lemon juice marinated exotic fruits, a delicate blend of fresh spices, and a hint of citrus zest, finished with a sweet citrus glaze.” Their buns included sultanas, currants and cranberries.

The judges were Mike Meaclem, bakery tutor at CPIT, Dennis Taylor, a qualified chef and manager of the School of Food & Hospitality, Marcus Braun, patisserie tutor and winner of numerous awards himself, Tony Goddard, bakery tutor, and Ryan Marshall, culinary manager at the School of Food & Hospitality. The judging criteria were aroma, colour, texture but most of all flavour and the judges agreed that while there were a number of very good entries, Kidds’ buns were outstanding.

Kidds Cakes was presented with a Silver Trophy by BIANZ president Brendan Williams, naming them winner of the Great New Zealand Hot Cross Bun Competition. There are no runners up.

This was the inaugural Great New Zealand Hot Cross Bun Competition and Mr Williams and chief judge Mike Meaclem both see it as the start of a competition that will bring prestige to winners and come to be regarded as an essential part of the baking calendar.

Hot cross buns have long been a traditional part of the Christian festival of Easter where they are eaten hot or toasted. While the cross is taken as a symbol of the crucifixion, it is believed that the Greeks baked and consumed cakes with crosses on the top of them. Saxons made buns with crosses to honour the goddess Eostre – said to be the origin of the word Easter itself. The first recorded usage of the words hot cross buns was in 1773.

In New Zealand hot cross buns are an established part of both Christian and non-Christian Easter but they are now made well in advance of Good Friday to satisfy demand. The buns are characterised by the nature of the sweet bun, and raisins or currants.

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