NEW! Butterkist Limited Edition Hot Cross Bun Popcorn (Home Bargains)

Another boring lecture was much improved back in January by my twitter feed revealing food news. This time I was grateful to Butterkist for announcing the release of a new Easter flavour to their range, due to be released on Valentines day. Ever since February the 14th, I've been hunting for their new Hot Cross Bun Popcorn, but it's proved more evasive than the Easter Bunny!

Finally, a month after it's release date I found Butterkist's newest product -in Home Bargains of all places- for the very reasonable sum of 69p. It's a big ol' sharing bag too, containing 6 25g servings, what a steal!

"Enjoy the zesty and spicy taste of your Easter favourite, hot cross buns, in Butterkist's crisp and crunchy popcorn -it's the perfect Easter treat."

I had imagined it to be normal popcorn dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg, and hadn't really considered that it would instead be coated with a 'bun spice flavour toffee'.

The 25g serving size was surprisingly generous (more than a handful atleast!), and was coated with the same golden glaze as their Toffee popcorn. I couldn't smell any spices when I opened the bag, and feared they'd be similarly as lacking in promised flavour as Waitrose's 'Cherry Bakewell' & 'Sticky Toffee' Hot Cross Buns.

I needn't have worried; for what the popcorn failed to deliver in aroma, it more than made up for in taste. With my first bite, I was greeted by a strong, sweet citrussy tang, followed by the familiarly warming Easter spices. The popcorn was every bit as crunchy and crisp as expected, resulting in a beautifully balanced harmony of texture and flavour. The zestiness cut through the sweet coating, which meant that the popcorn was far less sickly than Butterkist's toffee flavour, and therefore much more enjoyable to eat. It was so moreish, that I imagine if I hadn't have portioned out my lot, I could've polished off the entire bag in one sitting.

I was pleasantly surprised by Butterkist's limited edition popcorn, and it seems an utter shame that it's not more widely available. If you're a lover of hot cross buns, I recommend that you hot foot it over to Home Bargains and pick yourself up a bag (or more!) of the Easter flavour before it disappears altogether!  

9/10