Coles is crying "fowl" over strict Anzac Day trading hours, claiming that arch-rival Woolworths broke the law by putting staff into stores before opening time to cook the chooks and put buns in the ovens.

In NSW, Anzac Day is classified as a restricted trading day, with large retailers including Coles, Aldi and Woolworths not permitted to open before 1pm.

While Coles' NSW supermarket staff were prohibited from taking deliveries or entering stores until 1pm on Monday, Woolworths' employees were busy at work from around 10am – making sushi, stocking seafood and delicatessen counters, filling buckets with fresh flowers and firing up the ovens so customers could be greeted with the smell of freshly baked bread.

Coles is demanding answers and says Woolworths may face fines of up to $11,000 per store for breaching trading hours restrictions, which are strictly enforced.