For your Christmas market, choose the portion size first, then decide how many buns you need per bag. Mini buns are ideal for small tasters, while regular currant buns are a good choice if you’re giving each person one standard-sized bun. A larger bag is most practical when you know how many people to expect or can store any leftovers according to the instructions on that specific pack. If you’re sharing food, check the current ingredients and allergen information too.
Are you handing them out to children, offering tasters or filling several lunchboxes? Compare mini buns with larger packs, but don’t count a mini bun as the same portion as a regular currant bun. PLUS, for example, lists a bag of nine mini currant and raisin buns.
If you’re bringing one regular bun per person for a small group, a pack of six is a useful starting point. PLUS, Jumbo and ALDI each list a regular pack of six.
A larger pack is only a good fit if you can hand out the extra buns or store them according to the label. The PLUS packs of six and eight, and Albert Heijn’s pack of ten, state that they can be frozen at home on the day of purchase.
Work out how many people you want to cater for and what size portion will suit them. Then check what you can do with any leftover buns and whether the ingredients are suitable for the people receiving them.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Number of suitable portions | Compare both the number of buns and their size: mini, regular or giant. | If I’m handing out lots of small portions, I want to bring enough individual buns without counting a mini bun as a regular portion; for around 40% of consumers, the number of suitable portions comes first. |
| Leftover buns | Check the date and storage instructions on the bag. Make sure this particular variety can be frozen at home. | If I don’t want to be left with a full bag after the market, I’ll choose an amount that will be used up or that I can store according to the label; this is the most important factor for around 30% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information on every pack you’ll be handing out. | If I’m handing them out to people who avoid certain ingredients, I want to know exactly what these buns contain; for around 30% of consumers, suitability for the people receiving them is the main concern. |
Nine mini buns from PLUS aren’t the same kind of portions as eight regular currant buns from PLUS or ten regular raisin and currant buns from Albert Heijn.
Decide whether you want to hand out small tasters or regular buns before working out how many bags you need.
If fewer visitors turn up than expected, you’ll have buns left over. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also lists bread among the food groups that are often wasted.
Choose the number of bags based on how many people you expect. If you want to freeze any leftovers, follow the instructions on the pack you’ve chosen; the PLUS varieties mentioned here, in packs of six and eight, need to be frozen on the day of purchase.
Ingredients vary from product to product. PLUS’s pack of nine mini currant and raisin buns lists wheat, rye, milk and lactose, among other ingredients.
Before handing them out, check the allergen information on the physical pack, especially if anyone needs to avoid certain ingredients.
The examples below will help you compare pack sizes. Always check the number of buns, ingredients and storage instructions on the bag you buy.
Albert Heijn lists a pack of ten raisin and currant buns that stay fresh for longer, for anyone looking to get ten regular buns from one bag.
PLUS lists regular currant buns in packs of six and eight, and mini currant and raisin buns in a pack of nine.
Jumbo lists a pack of six regular raisin and currant buns as a useful option for comparing sizes for a small group.
ALDI lists six regular raisin and currant buns per pack, as well as a pack of four giant raisin buns.
Lidl lists currant buns, as well as mini and giant raisin and currant bun varieties, giving you different sizes to consider.
Mini buns are a good fit when you’re handing out small individual portions. PLUS lists a bag of nine mini currant and raisin buns. If you want to give each person one regular bun, compare packs of regular buns and use those to work out how many bags you’ll need.
You can freeze varieties whose packaging says they’re suitable for home freezing. The PLUS packs of six and eight regular currant buns state that they should be frozen on the day of purchase and used within one month; Albert Heijn’s pack of ten also says that it can be frozen on the day of purchase. Always follow the instructions on the bag you buy.
Read the current ingredients and allergen information on every pack. For example, PLUS’s pack of nine mini currant and raisin buns lists wheat, rye, milk and lactose. Don’t assume another variety has the same ingredients.
Check the ingredients list for the specific currant buns you’re buying. Albert Heijn’s pack of ten raisin and currant buns that stay fresh for longer lists sodium-reduced iodised sea salt; this doesn’t tell you what type of salt is used in other currant buns.
