For a sit-down treat after the Easter egg hunt, a braided or family-sized brioche is ideal for sharing. If you need to serve everyone quickly, choose one that’s already sliced, or individual brioche rolls. Whatever the format, check the ingredients, weight and allergens for the product you’re buying: the word ‘premium’ doesn’t tell you this.
If you’re sitting down at the table for tea, a braided or family-sized brioche can be brought out whole and sliced. Carrefour Traiteur and Auchan list products in this format; choose the weight and number of slices to suit your guests.
Pre-sliced brioche saves you having to prepare each portion when it’s time to serve. Individual brioche rolls are easy to hand out; check the pack size and allergens before serving them to children and guests.
If the presence of butter and eggs, the sugar content, fibre or list of additives influences your choice, compare the labels of the specific products you’re considering. Information on the front of the pack doesn’t tell you everything about the recipe.
First decide how you’ll serve the brioche after the egg hunt, then compare suitable formats by checking their recipes and labels.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Format and serving | Total weight, number of slices or pieces, and whether any cutting is needed. | When tea follows straight after the egg hunt, I want to be able to serve everyone without a lot of preparation. Around 25% of consumers prioritise ease of serving and the number of portions. |
| Recipe and presentation | The shape of the brioche, declared ingredients and the proportions of butter or eggs, where stated. | For a treat to share around the table, I prefer a brioche that can be presented whole before slicing. The recipe and presentation are the main priority for around 31% of consumers. |
| Nutritional content | Nutritional information per 100 g and the ingredients list for each product. | If I’m comparing traditional recipes or products with claims about sugar or additives, I want to see what’s in the exact product. Around 19% of consumers put this kind of comparison first. |
| Allergens | Ingredients and allergens listed on the packaging of the product you buy. | If a guest needs to avoid an ingredient, I need to check the brioche before serving it, even if I already know the brand. This is the main concern for around 25% of consumers. |
This doesn’t tell you whether the format will suit your plans, or what ingredients and allergens are in the brioche you’ve chosen.
First decide whether you need slices, individual portions or a brioche to cut yourself, then read the label of the product you’ve selected.
Recipes vary from one product to another. Brioche Pasquier’s product information, for example, lists wheat and eggs for some brioches, as well as milk for its individual brioche rolls.
Check the ingredients and allergens on each pack before serving. If a guest needs to avoid an allergen, don’t assume another brioche in the same range is suitable.
A pack of individual brioche rolls, a pre-sliced brioche and a family-sized brioche may all contain different total quantities.
Work out how many portions you need, then compare the pack weights and the number of pieces or slices listed.
A brioche described as ‘less sweet’, wholemeal or ‘additive-free’ meets a particular criterion, but that alone doesn’t tell you everything about the recipe or your guests’ preferences.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and the full ingredients list. Harry’s says some of its products labelled ‘additive-free’ may contain ingredients with a similar function.
The range includes plain sliced brioche and individual brioche rolls, two formats to consider depending on how you plan to serve tea.
Harry’s offers sliced and braided brioches, as well as products with different claims about their ingredients.
The retailer offers all-butter brioche rolls and, through Carrefour Traiteur, an all-butter braided brioche that comes sliced.
E.Leclerc’s Epi d’Or range includes, among other products, a 500 g sliced brioche and a 600 g braided brioche.
Auchan offers brioches in several shapes, including an 800 g La Boulangère all-butter braided brioche.
If you’re looking for a butter brioche to serve after the Easter egg hunt, here’s a 280 g option. Check its shape and the number of portions before planning how to serve it.
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This butter brioche could suit a tea where the recipe matters to your choice. The pack weighs 280 g; check its shape, the number of portions and the allergen information on the packaging before serving.
Read the ingredients and allergens listed on the packaging of the pack you’ve bought. Brioche Pasquier’s product information lists wheat and eggs for some products, and milk for its individual brioche rolls; this doesn’t tell you what’s in another brioche. If anyone has an allergy, check each product you plan to serve.
It may suit you if you’re looking for this particular recipe characteristic and a format that’s easy to share, but ‘all-butter’ doesn’t guarantee that it will suit your guests’ preferences or that it’s better overall. Carrefour Traiteur lists 12% pastry butter in its sliced braided brioche; compare the ingredients and nutritional information for each product you’re considering.
Choose based on the characteristic you want to compare, without treating these claims as a verdict on the whole product. Brands base sugar comparisons on specific reference products; Harry’s also says some brioches labelled ‘additive-free’ may contain ingredients with a similar function. Check the nutritional values and ingredients list for the exact product.
Follow the date and storage instructions on the packaging. Auchan’s product information for a La Boulangère braided brioche says to keep it in its closed packaging, in a dry place at room temperature. Always follow the instructions for the brioche you’ve bought.