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Especially for Easter, Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal has created a new flavoured hot cross bun for Waitrose, inspired by one of his favourite desserts.
The Heston from Waitrose Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns combine the traditional ingredients of a Bakewell tart – flaky almonds and cherry pieces – with a soft, rich hot cross bun recipe.
The buns, which were developed over a couple of years to ensure the right balance of flavours, are shaped and glazed and then finished by hand with a cross on top, giving them a home-made feel.
Heston commented: “I wanted to create something that brought back nostalgic memories of tea times past, whilst introducing a new and exciting flavour to one of my Easter favourites. When you cross a hot cross bun with flavours of a Bakewell tart you get something deliciously different.”
Waitrose product developer Stuart Owens said: “We worked with Heston to combine traditional flavours with a modern twist, mixing the lightness of a hot cross bun with the cherry flavours and sweetness of a Bakewell Tart.
“Using nostalgic flavours is something that is really popular in the dessert ‘world’ and we wanted to create a taste that was unique for Easter.”
Hot cross buns at Waitrose are proving popular this year. Sales are up 29% on last year at teh supermarket chan, with the new Heston flavour hot cross buns playing a large part in this. The Heston from Waitrose Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns are priced at £1.89 for a pack of two.
The Bakewell Tart was originally created in the 1800s and was a popular tea time favourite in the 1980s. A cherry Bakewell tart features on the menu at Heston’s restaurant, The Hind’s Head.
