The buns were purchased on 22nd February and were put in the freezer until I had time to review them properly on 2nd March.
Waitrose only just crept into the edges of this survey, with a store just this side of the Tamar, in Saltash. I was hoping to find
a Belgian Bun at the bakery counter that was oozing with quality and gastronomic excess as befits a retailer that aims for the upper end of
the food market. Unfortunately they didn't have any, in fact the baked goods on display didn't inspire me with basket filling greed.
I did find this pre-pack lurking on the shelves, and prepared to test it rigorously.
The paired buns sit in a formed plastic tray and are then wrapped in a plastic cover. It is a good design. The top of the pack is completely transparent
so that the buns can be seen clearly. Similar packs have previously been found to protect the buns well from travel trauma, and this one also performed admirably.
There was a certain amount of smearing on the inner surface but it did not seriously detract from the appeal of the product, although the cherries
were showing distinct signs of seismic bun-slip.
It is a rather typical bun with a slightly pallid and greasy complexion, The external surface had some promising sculpting that revealed
the structure of the original dough, and I had some high hopes for the interior detailing.
The side of the pack was promising, describing a bun that met all of the essential requirements. The bun itself was rather mechanically rounded
but that has become the norm among modern commercial bakers and though it lacks a little personality it is not a major criticism.
Unfortunately, the bun failed to live up to my early expectations. The bun itself was light and soft, but not very tasty. It was sweet, but not
distinctively 'baked', there was none of the fresh yeastiness that fills the atmosphere of a good bakery and the exterior of the bun was slightly
wet rather than softly moist, with possibly even a suggestion of sliminess. The icing was shiny and well placed on the top of the bun
with good even coverage, and a good texture, being neither too sticky nor too dry, but soft and slightly granular.
The sultanas were incorporated into the body of the bun in a rather appealing and haphazard manner. They were whole and succulent but they didn't
make a big visual impact. Sections through the bun appeared rather deficient at times, though with a sultana count of 26 that portion of the dried fruit
in the buns makeup was quite adequate. The second dried fruit componant, the cherry, was slightly yellowed. I an in two minds about this. A yellowed
cherry retains some vestige of its fruity origin, but the decorative cherry exists solely for its entertainment value and a pure rich red
example is somehow more appealing.
The packaging had promised a bun with lemon filling, but there was no lemon
flavour associated with the bun. The reason became clear when it was cut in vertical section. The bun had no clear internal structure, and there was
no sign of lemon curd, which I always see as a major failing. The problem is that the lemon curd is a hidden attribute of a good bun, only revealing itself
as the bun is broken open. Therefore a manufacturer who wishes to save cost can leave out the lemon curd and the defficiency will not be detected
until after the point of purchase. This always strikes me as rather shabby behaviour and it would be nice to think that a retailer with pretentions
the high quality end of the market would take more care.
Equally serious was a failing of spirality exposed in lateral section. This bun shown no signs of internal coiling to the point of drabness.
One of the joys of winter is the freedon to walk into the garden at night and look up to the stars. The inside of this bun is like a cloudy evening,
there is a disappointing deficiency of points of interest. Few sultanas, no lemon curd and no spiral pattern.
We are currently in the middle of the coldest winter for (opinions vary) some decades, and this chill environment boosts the attraction of the Belgian Bun
as a wintery snack. It seemed appropriate to test the way the bun withstood extreme weather, so I froze one in a block of Ice. It froze well, although a
single sultana detached itself and attempted to float to the surface before it was trapped in the waters icy crystalline clutches.
Once the subject was securely frozen I attempted to polish the ice to gain a clear view, but in the process of freezing a large number of air bubbles
were trapped, making the ice translucent but not transparent. Therefore I cut a vertical section through the block to inspect the
integrity of the bun.
As you can see, the bun has survived well. It seems to me that the cherry has faded significantly, but otherwise the structure is undamaged.
