Alban Buns – Older than the Hot Cross Bun

Shhhhh!

First batch of Alban Buns have arrived at St Albans Cathedral celebrating an age-old tradition that predates the Hot Cross Bun.

The legend has it that this bun – with its closely guarded secret recipe – was created by Brother Thomas Rocliffe, a 14th century monk at St Albans Abbey to feed the poor on Good Friday.

The original recipe remains a closely guarded secret, but ingredients include flour, eggs, fresh yeast, currants and grains of paradise or cardamom – and it has attracted world-wide attention since being featured on the BBC’s Mary Berry’s Easter Feast during Lent 2016.

Today, the baker today stays faithful to the original 14th century recipe with its distincgtive knife-cut cross atop – with only a slight addition of some extra fruit.

The Alban Bun will be available from the Abbot’s Kitchen from Thursday 7th March until Monday 22nd April.

Read more about it here.