FROM hot cross bun flavoured burgers to chocolate-shaped croissants, the items on sale for Easter 2025 are more unique than ever before.
Supermarkets have designed a whole range of novelty items ahead of Easter Sunday, later this month.
7
But are they just cheap gimmicks designed to make us splash our cash, or are they taste sensations that you should be stocking up on?
Lynsey Hope finds out
Heck Hot Cross Bun Burger, £3.50 for two pack, heckfood.co.uk
7
One of 2025’s more unusual offerings is this pork burger from Heck, seasoned with mixed spice, cinnamon, ginger and raisings to evoke the flavour of a hot cross bun.
They were easy enough to cook, taking around 15 minutes on a grill and the smell of the cinnamon was quite potent even whilst cooking.
I didn’t think I’d be sold on these but the sweetness and spice do enhance the savoury richness of the meat, creating a nice balance.
They are quite sweet for a meat feast but I was surprisingly taken with them.
Heck say it’s up to you whether you want to put yours in a standard bun, or sandwich it between an actual hot cross bun so I went full hog. It was an unusual meal, but I enjoyed it.”
RATING: 5/5
Waitrose No 1 Chocolate Croissant £15, waitrose.com
7
An exciting addition to the Waitrose Easter line up is this fun Croissant-shaped egg.
There is nothing croissant like about the taste but it’s a fun design and the blonde chocolate is a lovely alternative to the classic milk.
It’s much lighter in appearance than it appears on the box so I was surprised when I opened it up.
The chocolate has wafer pieces throughout add a buttery flavour and texture, reminiscent of the pastry it’s named after.
It’s delicious without being overly sweet. It’s £15, so not cheap, but top marks for novelty factor.
RATING: 4/5
Tesco Cheesecake Carrots £3.50, tesco.com
7
These look really pretty, a lovely novelty Spring pudding.
The cheesecake itself is meant to be chocolate orange flavour but they had a rather strange, sickly, artificial taste.
I didn’t like the green coloured white chocolate ganache on top and the cocoa base was dry and unappealing. Shame, as they did look appetizing.
RATING: 1/5
Sainsbury’s Custard Creams with a Hot Cross Bun Flavour Filling 65p, sainsburys.co.uk
7
The flavour of these was nice, they had a lovely hint of cinnamon which was just enough to give you hot cross bun vibes without being too overpowering.
But sadly, there wasn’t enough of the ‘cream’ in the centre which meant they were quite dry to eat.
Ok with a cup of tea but nothing special about them at all. I wouldn’t rush back.
RATING: 2/5
Waitrose Apple and Cinnamon Hot Cross Bunettone £8, waitrose.com
7
A delightful mix between a hot cross bun and a panettone, this is spiced Italian cake made with butter, sultanas and candied orange peel.
It was lightly spiced with the perfect combination of sultanas and orange peel.
The dough itself was on the drier side but I didn’t mind this, I thought it was more traditional as opposed to so many of the cake based panettones you get nowadays.
You are provided with a stencil and icing sugar to finish it off yourself.
This looked fabulous but did create a bit of a mess! Overall though, really enjoyed this and for £8, I thought it was a bargain.
RATING: 5/5
M&S 6 Dippy Egg Filled Hot Cross Buns £3.50, ocado.com
7
These cocoa-based hot cross buns have a white and yellow white-chocolate flavoured filling which is designed to look like a real dippy egg.
I was slightly nervous as I bit into it as it looks as though it should be savoury even though it is sweet.
I liked the hot cross ‘bun’ flavour which was moist and more-ish, though not overly chocolatey.
The filling was very sweet but there was just enough inside so that you could enjoy these without getting a massive sugar rush.
My kids LOVED them though with 255 calories and 16.1g of sugar in each one, I’ll have to be careful how many I let them eat.”
RATING: 3/5
How to save cash on your food shop
Money saving experts at HSBC UK have revealed their top tips to saving cash on your food shop.
1. Set a budget
Creating a budget will help to stretch your budget. Start by working out how much you spent on food over the last three months, then each month you get paid, set aside a certain amount for food.
2. Plan your meals
Make a list of your main meals for the coming week, including the ingredients you need, and stick to it. Don’t get drawn into offers for things that you don’t need. If you already have some food leftover from the week before, try to see what you can do with that first.
3. Think about when and where you shop
It’s best to shop on a full stomach so you don’t get tempted. Shopping less often can help you to think about what you buy and it may help you to stick to your budget.
4. Go online
Shopping online is a good and easy way to manage your budget. It can also help to track expenses, whilst also preventing impulse buys.
