IT’S often a source of talkback radio rage – the Christmas leftovers aren’t even finished and hot cross buns are already on the supermarket shelf, months before Easter.

Well, now one chain is cashing in on the fruity treats all year round.

Coles is trialling four-packs of hot cross buns because of customer demand.

“For weeks – and in some instances for months – our bakers were being asked by customers if we were still baking hot cross buns,” in-store bread manager Freddie Hancock said in a statement.

The supermarket giant sold 12.5 million packs of hot cross buns from the end of 2018 through to Easter Monday.