Hunted + Gathered Milk Chocolate + Hot Cross Bun – Easter in a Bar
Wrapped in Hunted + Gathered’s clean brown sleeve, the pale cross stretched across the front makes its Easter intentions obvious. This bar blends tradition with craft, folding pieces of Loafer’s Organic Hot Cross Buns into creamy Dominican Republic milk chocolate. Inside, the underside reveals raisins and crisp inclusions set into the surface — a rustic signal that this isn’t just spiced chocolate, but bun and bar brought together.
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Origin: |
Australia |
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Cacao %: |
46% (Dominican Republic single origin) |
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RRP: |
$15 AUD |
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Certified: |
Organic |
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Batch: |
Small Batch |
Appearance
Unlike the brand’s usual immaculate moulds, this one wears its inclusions openly. Break it apart and the fruit and crisp grains are visible, giving it a homely, festive look. It feels less like a refined object and more like seasonal comfort, which seems intentional.
Aroma
The scent escapes as soon as the wrapper opens: warming cinnamon and cardamom threaded through creamy cocoa. There’s a lift of citrus peel and dried fruit too, echoing the real bun ingredients. It’s layered, festive, and unashamedly spiced.
Taste & Texture
The first bite is all contrast. The milk chocolate begins to melt silk-smooth, but crisp fragments and chewy raisins interrupt the flow. That crunch-and-chew rhythm mimics a bun. Cinnamon and cardamom rise quickly, raisins and currants add sweetness, and the Dominican cacao holds its creamy depth underneath. It’s a seasonal translation done with precision rather than gimmick.
Aftertaste & Finish
Spice warmth lingers longest, with cinnamon and cardamom tapering off like the echo of Easter baking. The fruit remains as a soft chew, while the chocolate fades more quickly. It leaves behind a memory closer to festive kitchen table than standard milk bar.
ATC Verdict: Is It Worth the Splurge?
This is Hunted + Gathered at their most playful, but still grounded in craft. It captures the essence of a hot cross bun without losing sight of its chocolate base: festive, textured, and true to flavour. For lovers of the Easter classic, it’s both familiar and novel, though it disappears faster than you might wish.
A bun in bar form: festive, spiced, and gone too soon.
Editor’s Note
We opened this bar in the middle of the afternoon, the kind of moment when a hot cross bun and coffee would normally appear. Instead, it was chocolate — spiced, textured, and playful. Between bites of chewy fruit and crunch, it felt more like Easter on the couch than at the table, and that suited it perfectly.
–Adrian – Editor at All That Is Cool
