Back in 2013 Andrea and Dot Munson told the Gazette how they believed they may have the oldest hot cross bun in the world.

The couple had kept the bun, baked more than 200 years ago, on a shelf in their home for 30 years.

Wrapped in a tin, it is accompanied by a note stating it was made in Colchester for Good Friday in 1807.

It says the bun was “put into this paper by my great uncle, Edward Holdrich”.

The bun was given to Mr Munson, 74, of Main Road, Wormingford, by an eccentric neighbour, Norman Baker, who Mr Munson helped with his electrics.

Speaking to the Gazette at the time, he said: “I didn’t really know what it was when he gave it to me.

“He said his great uncle had put it in that box so I just decided to keep it.

“I have got a studio and I keep it in there on a shelf.”

The Guinness Book of Records does not have a category for oldest hot cross bun, so the claim cannot be verified.

The Munsons have given up trying to date the bun, but believe it has a good claim to the title.

A hot cross bun baked in London in 1821 has been handed down through five generations.

But, if the note is true, the Munsons’ bun pre-dates it by 14 years.

Despite having the legendary bun in their possession for 30 years they were not tempted to have a bite.

Mr Munson said: “It’s just very hard. It’s like Polyfilla.

"We had a hot cross bun this morning, but I won’t be touching the other one.

“I don’t understand why it hasn’t gone mouldy.

“I’m not sure what we’re going to do with it. We’ll probably pass it down the family.”