Good Friday without a hot cross bun is akin to a sacrilege, so right about now, bakers around the island are making preparations for next week's run on the sticky treats for fans who don't have the confidence to make their own and those who, quite plainly, won't feel like doing it. Word has it that one of the hottest bakeries with the best buns around is Platinum Pastry Bakery owned by Chef Bernard Bodie.
The man who is known for tweaking his bun offerings every now and then just to keep things hot and deliciously tasty will, this year, offer a whole wheat bun - for the seasonally-spirited health nuts - along with his crowd-pleasing, regular buns. Both will have the signature sugar cross topping.
Bodie anticipates he will have to bake at least 450 dozen buns to satisfy demands, as last year's 300 dozen were not enough to prevent the crowds from beating down his bakery's doors. However, unlike previous years, Bodie will not be taking orders this Easter, in hopes of avoiding past problems with customers who had placed orders requesting more buns at the last minute. This year, customers are free to walk in and purchase as many buns as they want. He guarantees people will want to walk away with more than just a dozen buns for their Good Friday meals, as they're just that good.
"You can try everyone else, but I can guarantee my buns are the best," said the chef. "Our buns are so light that they melt in your mouth."
He promises that anyone who tastes his buns will be back, and first-time patrons will love them so much that they'll already be looking forward to visiting his bakery next year. Encouraging the crowds to try for themselves, Bodie will be offering hot cross bun samples at his bakery on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"I'm the type of person who likes people to be able to try the product before they put their money down, because the proof is definitely in the taste, and if you don't like it you have the option to go somewhere else, but I guarantee they will be back once they've had our buns."
Platinum Pastry Bakery will open at 7 a.m. on Thursday, and will remain open until 8 or 9 p.m. that evening, to accommodate fans of the Easter buns, which will retail for $10 a dozen.
"As long as the people keep coming, we will still be here," said the chef.
A veteran of the pastry industry, Bodie worked in the kitchens of the hospitality sector for years before opening Platinum Pastry Bakery, six years ago. Since opening his bakery, his skills have made him known for swoon-worthy sweet and savory treats, such as his famous conch patties; "Off Da Chain" cake which he says people have to see to believe; "Sex on Da Beach" cake, which he says tastes just like the drink; the aptly named "Bodie" cake, a three-layer, red velvet, chocolate and vanilla concoction; and, of course, his hot cross buns. They're cakes he has developed in the last year and which have become top sellers for Platinum Pastry as well.
To try his hot cross buns or any of his best selling cakes, visit Platinum Pastry Bakery on Faith Avenue South (14th building on the left after crossing over Carmichael Road).

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