Hot cross buns a firm favourite with shoppers at Stratford New World

Amanda Garner, baking manager at Stratford New World, with a tray of the popular hot cross buns.

Stratford New World customers really love their hot cross buns, says store owner Dan Harris.

"We have customers ring up to check we have them in stock well before Easter, and once they are on the shelves, they fly off them like hot cakes - or buns anyway!"

Dan says the bakery staff start baking them early in the morning and hundreds of the freshly baked buns are sold every day.

"We clearly have a successful recipe for them. Simply put, they are delicious and our customers know that," says Dan, who says some customers come from other towns in the region to buy the Stratford version.

While hot cross buns are best known with plenty of dried fruit inside, the bakers at Stratford New World produce a few variations on the classic bun.

"We offer a fruit-free one, which is quite popular with younger children, and then a chocolate chip one which unsurprisingly is also a firm favourite with many. Last year we also launched a new, lighter style bun, using a brioche influenced recipe and it sold really well, so is back again this year as well."

With Easter now just around the corner, Dan is offering Stratford Press readers the chance to win some hot cross buns. Over the next four weeks, we will be asking you to nominate a person, business, class or neighbour to win one dozen hot cross buns.

Keep an eye out for the competition each week.

This week we are asking you to nominate a school or kindy to win a dozen buns. You can nominate a classroom, a whole school, the support staff or the teaching team - it's up to you. They just have to be willing to share their dozen buns !

To enter, email editor@stratfordpress.co.nz with your name, the school / team / kindy details you are nominating and tell us why in 100 words or fewer. Nominations need to be received by Sunday, April 7 at noon, and we will deliver the buns on Monday morning.