We've only just finished with Christmas - and now the first signs of Easter have arrived.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It's 110 days before the Easter long weekend but the hot cross buns are already on supermarket shelves.
Coles began stocking them on December 27 (the Christmas Day public holiday, incidentally) and its rival Woolworths is likely to follow suit soon.
The idea of supermarkets looking to the next festive period while we're still cleaning up from the last one seems to be more common these days.
But that doesn't seem to stop some people from expressing annoyance on social media when they spy hot cross buns in the supermarket.
Though, after they take the outraged photo, they probably drop some in their trolley.
A spokeswoman for Coles said stocking hot cross buns months before Easter was nothing new.
"Coles has been selling hot cross buns in December for many years now," the spokeswoman said.
"We know customers love our delicious, award-winning hot cross buns and want to be able to buy them for as long as possible before Easter. Our bakers are constantly being asked by customers when they can get their hands on some."
According to Coles, their data shows that during the post-Christmas period last December, the supermarket chain sold more than 2 million hot cross buns - which suggests those unhappy about seeing them on the shelves are in the minority.
"We're always listening to our customers and we want to offer our customers the products that they want to see on shelves for longer and as soon as possible," the spokeswoman said.
"For our customers who would prefer to wait until Easter to buy their hot cross buns [they] have that choice."
This time around, Coles has come up with a new variety sure to see some people moaning on social media - a Vegemite hot cross bun.
"We know how much our customers love hot cross buns at Easter, and we know how much they love Vegemite, so we decided to merge these two icons to create a delicious, savoury spin on hot cross buns that champions iconic Aussie flavours," Coles General Manager of Bakery, Deli and Seafood, Andy Mossop said.
The Illawarra Mercury newsroom is funded by our readers. You can subscribe to support our journalism here.
Sign up for breaking news emails below ...
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
