WHILE Easter bun with cheese remains a big favourite for Jamaicans, players in the bakery industry have revealed that many people either bought smaller amounts of bun this Easter due to economic constraints, or did not buy at all because of concerns with quality and sugar levels.

Baker Audrey Lecky, who is a former president of the Jamaica Baker’s Association, said on Saturday that price has not been an issue for some consumers. However, many refrained from buying because of quality.

“They are willing to pay the price but what they are more concerned about is quality. I believe that over the years there has been a disappointment re the quality of the bun. After they spend their money they find that the quality is poor. That has been a deterrent for some people.

“Sales would have been a little less for some people this year because there are persons who are not working and there are those who are more concerned about what they can save. But the whole idea of having bun and cheese at Easter is still something that they do look forward to. If it is even a small one, they ensure it is in the home so that the tradition continues.”

Lecky issued an appeal to bakers, encouraging them to offer buns with reduced sugar to serve the people who opt for a healthy lifestyle.

“The other challenge is that persons have become extremely conscious about sugar. Because buns are typically sweet, then you would find that some persons are not going to buy a bun. They just don’t want that level of sugar. If bakeries are making buns that are less sweet, you will find that persons will gravitate towards that particular brand and buy more of it because everybody is now very, very conscious about sugar.

“We have a challenge with diabetes and the diabetics love the bun; they are concerned about the sugar levels in the bun. Everybody just has to tweak and become more conscious of the consumer — not necessarily price conscious but health conscious — and see how they can make a bun that appeals to the consumers who are now more concerned about what they consume.”

In the meantime, Michelle Chong, chief executive officer of Honey Bun Limited, said that based on sales, she “definitely thinks” that Easter bun is still a big hit in Jamaica.

“Just by the amount of requests and orders that we get for buns, we know,” she said.

For chairman and CEO of the Continental Baking Company, Gary “Butch” Hendrickson, people are still very much into bun and cheese.

“I don’t think it has fallen off. I think there are times where economics and hard times will make them adjust a little bit and buy a smaller bun,” he stated.