Easter is almost here, and that can only mean one thing - it's time to get your hands on some hot cross buns ahead of the long weekend.
Whether toasted with butter for breakfast on Easter morning or as a late-night snack, you simply can't go past a hot cross bun.
But where can you find the best buns? It's a competitive market out there, and even with all the new flavours competing for our attention (peanut butter, anyone?), there's still nothing quite like the traditional cinnamon and raisin variety.
And although a recent Consumer survey named supermarket hot cross buns the firm favourite with Kiwis, we beg to differ.
Sure, it's more convenient to swing past your local supermarket on the way home and pick up a couple of bags to pop in the freezer, but you miss out on the bakery experience.
Heading into your local bakery, you're greeted by the smell of cinnamon, sugar and butter - all the flavours and smells that make hot cross buns such a firm favourite at Easter time.
Bakeries have had a tough time during the Omicron wave, with many forced to close their doors. But for some, hot cross buns have become a lifeline - and it's more important than ever to support local.
So, we headed to three different Auckland bakeries that each claim to bake the best hot cross buns in town: Daily Bread, Ima Cuisine, and Scratch Bakers.
Who's got the best buns in Auckland? Watch the video above to find out.
Daily Bread
Daily Bread is famed for their sourdough hot cross buns, which as their marketing and operations co-ordinator Kieran Evans explains, have taken years to perfect.
He tells us from the Pt Chev bakery site, "It's three days of fermentation, it's family recipes, and it goes back generations."
Daily Bread's sourdough hot cross buns normally sell out "like crazy" in the lead-up to Easter, Evans says.
And their recipe even took out the top prize in the NZ Hot Cross Bun Awards in 2022.
"This year it's been just phenomenal. Since we won the hot cross bun competition, sales have just skyrocketed."
The Daily Bread hot cross bun is fluffy, it's lighter on the fruit, and it has a sugary glaze that adds a bit of crunch.
Ima Cuisine
Fort St's Ima Cuisine is a stalwart in the hot cross bun scene. Owner Yael Shochat says the hot cross buns are what's keeping her business afloat amid the Omicron outbreak.
Judging by the number of orders bagged and ready to be picked up by customers, whatever she's doing, it's working - they sell out every year at Easter.
"It's really really important this year, because we are really on our last legs. The buns have saved me," Shochat says.
What's different about these buns? The vanilla bean custard cross. It's a welcome change from the usual flour paste cross piped on top. Think hot cross buns, but for dessert - perfect for the sweet tooth.
Scratch
Scratch Bakers in the central city are known for their sweet treats, and while they couldn't resist adding a sugary twist to their hot cross buns with a custard and pecan version, they also know not to mess with a classic.
Front of house manager Alexa Haddow says they're "definitely the best" hot cross buns in Auckland.
And while they wanted to "do something a little bit different," their classic buns are the most popular, taking months to create.
"We soak all of our fruit and citrus in vanilla, port and brandy for about six months prior to Easter, so they get really sweet and juicy," she explains.
All those flavours come through in each bite of the Scratch bun, which is loaded with flavour-soaked fruits. It's perfect for the hot cross bun purist.