Couple take hot cross buns to family in Liverpool

Mark Hubert, 65, and his wife Colette, 56, from Hollingbury Crescent in Brighton, started queueing outside Raven’s Bakery at 6.20am this morning to “beat the rush” and get their hands on some of its famed freshly baked hot cross buns.

The couple are travelling to Liverpool to see family this weekend and were told by their children to make sure they brought the treats from their favourite bakery.

Colette’s daughter Rachel, 24, a medical student at Leeds, said: "Don’t come without a hot cross bun."

Mark and Colette were first in the queue this morning

The couple are going to see their six children and one grandchild near Liverpool for the bank holiday weekend.

Colette said: “It’s partly tradition and my daughter who is meeting us in Liverpool said ‘please don’t come without a hot cross bun from Raven’s’ so I was determined to get some to take up.

“They just do the best hot cross buns. I got there at 6.20am.

Mark and Colette with their prize possessions

“This will be my grand-daughter’s first Raven’s hot cross bun. She is three years old.

"I only bought 30, I thought everybody will need at least two. Hopefully we don’t eat too many on the way up.

“I work in the local pharmacy so got some for people who perhaps couldn’t commute to the bakery today.

“It was so tempting to buy more but it felt so greedy. Other people might want some.

Raven's Bakery was teeming with hot cross buns this morning

“It’s so lovely because it’s an independent company. It's so nice to support local small businesses.”

While the roads were largely empty this morning, plenty of people were up early to queue outside Raven's Bakery in Ditchling Road.

The 100-year-old bakery’s windows were filled with trays of freshly baked hot cross buns.

Queues stretched up Ditchling Road

There were long queues of people lining the pavement in the Easter sunshine.

The hot cross bun hopefuls were buying them by the dozen – some for family, others for their neighbours, while others were just hoping to get their hands on a couple of the famed treats.

Maggie Raven, manager at Raven's Bakery, said: "I think we have sold about 100 today. It is a tradition for people to come here every year.

Dozens of hot cross buns

"It was slightly quieter today, a lot of people also came yesterday. We will be open tomorrow too in case people didn't have a chance today.

"We are closed Sunday and Monday to have a rest.

"This year the weather is nice so I don't feel sorry for the customers. Sometimes it is raining so everyone is happy and joyful today. People are still coming."