If you want to serve thick slices at a work meeting, a giant currant or raisin bun is a good option to cut up yourself. If you’d rather serve them without having to slice anything, standard buns or mini buns are more practical. Work out how many portions you need in advance, and check the current label for ingredients, allergens and shelf life. A giant bun doesn’t necessarily come pre-sliced.
A giant bun gives you a larger bun to slice yourself. Decide how thick you want the slices and how many portions you need before buying for the meeting. ‘Giant’ doesn’t tell you how thick each slice will be.
Whole standard buns and mini buns are easy to count in advance, and there’s no need to slice them during the meeting. Packs of six, eight, nine or ten can help with planning, but the size of each bun varies.
Before buying, check the ingredients and allergens for the exact variety you’ve chosen. The standard varieties reviewed list ingredients including wheat or cereals containing gluten, and milk. Some also warn that other allergens may be present.
First decide whether you want to slice the buns yourself or hand out whole buns that you can count in advance. Then consider how many portions you need, when you’ll store them and the ingredients in the exact variety you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Slicing thick portions yourself | Check the size of the buns and how many there are. Decide how many slices you want to serve from each bun. | I want to serve a generous snack and can slice the buns myself. For around 36% of consumers, having a substantial portion they can slice themselves is the top priority. |
| Portions without any slicing | Compare the number of buns in the pack with the number of people attending, and choose between standard buns and mini buns. | If everyone needs to be able to grab something quickly, I want to count the portions in advance. Around 29% of consumers prioritise this straightforward way of serving. |
| Buying in advance | Read the storage information and check whether the chosen pack includes freezing instructions. | I’d rather buy earlier, so there’s less to organise just before the meeting. For around 21% of consumers, this advance preparation is the main priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current label for the exact variety, including any warnings that allergens may be present. | If colleagues have specific dietary needs or allergies, I want to know what I can safely offer. For around 14% of consumers, checking this is the top priority. |
A giant bun is simply a larger bun, not a promise that it comes pre-sliced. Without a plan for portions, a pack of four buns may also give you fewer portions than you had in mind.
Choose this size if you want to slice the buns yourself, and decide in advance how many slices you’ll serve from each one.
The standard varieties reviewed list wheat or cereals containing gluten, and milk or milk ingredients. Some labels also warn that other allergens may be present.
Ask about any relevant dietary needs before buying, and check the packaging for the exact variety before serving the buns.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, currant buns can be stored in the freezer, but bread can dry out if it’s frozen for too long.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack you’ve chosen, and plan ahead to defrost the buns before the meeting.
A product you see online won’t necessarily be available at the shop where you do your food shopping. Lidl lists the giant and mini varieties mentioned here as in-store products.
Check that your chosen shop has the exact variety in stock before finalising the number of portions.
Albert Heijn lists a pack of ten extra-long-fresh raisin and currant buns.
Jumbo lists a pack of six raisin and currant buns.
PLUS lists packs of six standard currant buns, eight longer-fresh currant buns and four giant currant and raisin buns.
ALDI lists six standard raisin and currant buns and a pack of four giant raisin buns.
Lidl lists giant raisin and currant buns in a 4 × 100 g pack, and a pack of nine mini raisin and currant buns.
It depends on the packaging and how you store the buns. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping currant buns in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months. Also follow the best-before date and storage instructions on the pack you’ve chosen.
Don’t assume they are: the varieties from Jumbo, Albert Heijn and PLUS reviewed here list wheat or cereals containing gluten, and milk or milk ingredients. Check the current label for the exact variety, and only choose an alternative if its information meets the person’s dietary needs.
No. ALDI, PLUS and Lidl describe their giant varieties as larger buns, not as buns cut to a particular slice thickness. If you want to serve thick slices, be prepared to cut them yourself and work out how many portions you need in advance.
You can’t assume that every currant bun does. Albert Heijn lists iodised sea salt in the extra-long-fresh variety mentioned here. For any other variety, check its current ingredients list.
