Queensland has secured third place nationally in Coles’ Easter hot cross bun sales, with more than 8.5 million buns sold across the state since Boxing Day and Coles Caboolture Big Fish ranking among the top performers in Queensland, sitting just behind Carindale in the state’s store-by-store breakdown.
The figures place Queensland behind Victoria, which has sold more than 10 million buns, and New South Wales at nine million, but well clear of the other states and territories. For Caboolture and the broader Moreton Bay region, the Big Fish store’s position in the Queensland top three reflects the suburb’s status as one of southeast Queensland’s highest-volume retail destinations, drawing shoppers from across a wide northern catchment that extends from Morayfield and Narangba through to Bribie Island.
A Season That Starts at Boxing Day
The scale of Australia’s hot cross bun season has grown well beyond its traditional Easter window. Coles expects to sell more than 55 million hot cross buns nationally between Boxing Day and Easter this year, a volume sufficient to fill more than a quarter of a million shopping trolleys. That figure points to a product that has shifted from a specifically religious seasonal food into one of Australia’s most broadly observed calendar rituals, consumed across months rather than days.
To meet that demand, Coles has used more than 568 tonnes of fruit mix across its hot cross bun range this Easter, reflecting the scale of production planning required for what the retailer’s General Manager for Bakery, Dairy and Frozen, Brad Gorman, describes as a range that begins development more than a year before it reaches shelves. The 2026 range is the biggest Coles has offered, spanning traditional fruit, chocolate, gluten free and fruit free varieties alongside a selection of limited-edition flavours.
Queensland’s Store-by-Store Battle
Within Queensland, Coles Carindale leads the state with more than 15,500 packs sold, followed by Caboolture Big Fish at more than 15,000 packs and Thornlands at more than 14,500 packs. The spread across three very different retail locations, an inner-southern Brisbane centre, a high-volume Moreton Bay destination and a Redlands suburban store, reflects the consistency of Easter bun demand across southeast Queensland’s diverse residential catchments rather than concentration in any single type of location.
Caboolture Big Fish’s position in the Queensland top three is consistent with its broader retail performance. The centre sits on the Bruce Highway at Caboolture and serves one of Queensland’s fastest-growing regional populations, drawing regular shoppers from across the Moreton Bay local government area and the outer northern Brisbane corridor. That catchment, which added roughly 10,000 new residents in 2025 alone according to Sunshine Coast regional planning data, continues to support high-volume grocery sales across all categories and all seasons.
The Great Hot Cross Bun Debate, Settled
Beyond the sales volumes, Coles data has settled one of Easter’s more contested domestic questions. The microwave has overtaken the toaster as Australia’s preferred method of warming a hot cross bun, with 32 per cent of customers choosing the microwave compared with 29 per cent for the toaster. A further 25 per cent of customers bypass warming altogether, eating their buns straight from the packet.
On flavour, Australians remain firmly attached to the classics. Two in five customers, or 40 per cent, choose traditional fruit hot cross buns as their preferred variety, with chocolate chip varieties the second most popular choice across the Coles range.
A Simple Easter Tradition for Caboolture Households
It also points to the practical reality of what Easter means for Caboolture households. For families managing busy schedules across school holidays, hot cross buns are an accessible, affordable and universally enjoyed ritual, one that sits comfortably alongside the broader Easter weekend of footy, family gatherings and long lunches. The two for $6 deal on Coles Brand six-packs until 7 April makes stocking up for the long weekend easy on the grocery budget, which matters in a community where value for money consistently drives purchasing decisions.
It also points to the practical reality of what Easter means for Caboolture households. For families managing busy schedules across school holidays, hot cross buns are an accessible, affordable and universally enjoyed ritual, one that sits comfortably alongside the broader Easter weekend of footy, family gatherings and long lunches. The two for $6 deal on Coles Brand six-packs until 7 April makes stocking up for the long weekend easy on the grocery budget, which matters in a community where value for money consistently drives purchasing decisions.
A Good Time to Stock Up
Coles Brand Hot Cross Buns in a six-pack are available two for $6 until 7 April, giving Caboolture shoppers a practical window to stock up before Easter weekend. The full range, including traditional fruit, chocolate, gluten free and limited-edition varieties, is available at Coles Caboolture Big Fish and across the broader Coles network.
Published 30-March-2026
Featured Image Credit: Coles Group
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