Countdown apologises for vegetarian hot cross buns that were not vegetarian at all

It turns out the glaze on the hot cross buns isn't vegetarian as the supermarket had said it was. Photo / 123rf

Supermarket chain Countdown has issued a public apology after advertising hot cross buns as being vegetarian when it turns out the glaze was not vegetarian at all.

"To all our customers who have recently bought our hot cross buns, today our supplier has let us know that the glaze on our hot cross buns isn't vegetarian as we were told it was, due to a mistake in their warehouse," the company posted on its Facebook page thisafternoon.

"We were proud to provide a vegetarian hot cross bun in our stores for the first time, and are really disappointed that this has happened.

"We've now made sure that the glaze on our hot cross buns does not contain gelatin - and they'll be available in store from this Saturday, 19 January.

"We're deeply sorry for this mistake and we're working with our supplier to make sure it can't happen again," Countdown added.

To all our customers who have recently bought our hot cross buns, today our supplier has let us know that the glaze on...

Posted by Countdown Supermarkets on Monday, 14 January 2019

Social media users didn't take extreme offence at the mistake, for the most part. Many pointed out that the real outrage wasn't the fact that the hot cross buns have non-vegetarian glaze but the fact that they are being sold in January.

It is not clear whether any vegetarian people have eaten the hot cross buns.