Iceland sells hot cross buns with tick instead of cross

A supermarket has replaced the traditional hot cross bun decoration with a tick, sparking a backlash ahead of Easter.

Patrons have threatened to boycott Iceland after it ditched the cross, which is usually made from a flour paste, from some of its buns.

The supermarket is running the trial after research found a fifth of its customers would prefer the buns to have a tick, but the move has provoked anger among Christian groups.

Henrietta Blyth, the chief executive of the charity Open Doors, which works with persecuted Christians around the world, told MailOnline: “The cross is still of huge significance to millions of people in the UK, whether or not they attach meaning to if on a bun anymore.”

She added: “I understand why people may not want to see a cross on their teacake. It represents one of the most agonising forms of execution ever devised – you could say it’s like having an electric chair on a croissant.”

Danny Webster, the director of advocacy at the Evangelical Alliance, said: “Easter is when Christians across the globe remember Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave. Whatever Iceland puts on their buns, Christians will continue to declare the truth of the cross that Jesus is alive.”

Traditional hot cross buns still available

Iceland insisted the traditional hot cross buns will still be available in its stores alongside its hot tick buns.

David Lennox, the head of development for Iceland Foods, told The Sun: “According to the research, it seems some people want to do away with the cross design and move to a tick instead.

“The results surprised us, but in true British fashion, we’re putting it to the test by trialling ticks on some of our buns.”

It comes amid a rise in novelty hot cross buns which Dr Gavin Ashenden, who served as chaplain to the Queen at St James Palace for almost a decade, has claimed are akin to doing “the devil’s work”. He said supermarkets and restaurants are defiling hot cross buns with ingredients such as chocolate, caramel and cheese.

Among the culprits are Gail’s, the bakery chain, which created the “hot cross bun bacon butty”, KFC’s hot cross bun burger, Aldi, which sold a hot cross bun gin liqueur and Waitrose, which combined hot cross buns with panettone to create a “bunettone”.

Tesco and Asda were also accused of “playing fast and loose with culinary tradition” by serving hot cross buns with jam and cream. Critics accused the grocers of attempting to “mimic” scones, which have been the subject of years of controversy in Devon and Cornwall over whether the jam should be spread before the cream.

Butterkist has also produced hot cross bun flavoured popcorn, while Brentwood brewery produced Hot XXX Buns beer.

Richard Walker, the executive chairman of Iceland, has thanked outraged MPs for criticising the firm’s hot cross buns with a tick, and he claimed the firm’s sales of traditional hot cross buns have soared 134 per cent owing to the publicity.

Mr Walker lauded the reaction on social media on Friday morning, writing: “Big shout out to trendsetters Rees Mogg and 30p Lee for bigging up Iceland’s hot ‘tick’ buns.

“They weren’t for real btw lads – and sales of our devout and trad hot cross buns were up 134 per cent yesterday.”

Though Mr Walker said the buns were not real, Iceland confirmed a limited edition run of “hot tick buns” had been available this week in a number of stores.

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson previously told the Express: “It’s this type of ridiculous namby-pamby virtual-signalling that is leading to millions of people echoing Reform UK’s call to get our country back.”

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, the MP for North East Somerset,  also said to the newspaper: “Who would buy a frozen tick bun?”