Girdy & Birdy accepted a special delivery of free Honeybuns, and went on a taste journey of gluten free (and occasionally vegan and dairy free) deliciousness!
Birdy: I was so excited when I first heard we were being offered FREE CAKE because surely this is livin’ the dream. Of course, I said yes!
Girdy: Honeybuns kindly shipped gluten-free cakes to us for free, and while I’ve ordered cake online before, I don’t think I would have done so for gluten free ones. Why not? I’ve had mixed experiences in the past. When Honeybuns turned out to be gorgeous, I was over the moon but just wait until you find out what happened to my share of them.
Yes, foolishly, I promised Birdy I would share.
Birdy: The cake took a little while to get here, but when it did we were treated to a rather generous selection of cakes to share between ourselves, including the likes of brownies, flapjacks, bakewell slice and other sweet treats. LET’S GO!
Girdy: It turns out waiting for cake is a forever wait. We can’t really attest to the usual Honeybuns ecommerce experience in this review because we didn’t get one but I can tell you I was impressed when the parcel arrived. Honeybuns ships in a (most) mail slot safe box. You can come home to a cake-blessed flat.
Presentation
Birdy: I was really overawed by how well-presented these cakes were. They all come in neat, uniform little packages, but each one has its own personality.
I thought it was a really nice touch that specific information on each cake is included in the packaging, and it’s a nice little extra to read whilst you’re enjoying your treat. It’s how I know Honeybuns don’t skimp on the jam when it comes to their bakewell slice (which was my fave, by the way).
Girdy: I’ve done a poor job photographing these gluten-free cake bars, but you can hopefully see they don’t look like some corporate megabuck-backed ultra-processed energy bar for rich people. Take Honeybuns out of their wrapper, and you can almost imagine them on sale at the local farmers’ market.
Taste and texture
Birdy: I thought Honeybuns’ taste and textures were just spot on for everything I sampled! The brownies were soft and gooey, the flapjacks oaty and buttery, and the bakewell slice was everything I hoped it would be. Interestingly, they use a gluten free almond and polenta base for that one that’s unique to Honeybuns, and although I’m not a polenta fan generally, it worked!
Anyway, my point is that this isn’t some half-assed effort. Honeybuns founder Emma’s clearly put a lot of time and effort – and her 25 years’ experience of gluten free baking – into this endeavour, and it really shows.
Girdy: I said I’d had mixed experiences with gluten free cakes previously, and I’ve had ‘too stodgy’ and ‘far too dry’ before. Honeybuns’ are appropriately moist and lovely. Is that the polenta? I could taste chocolate (dark), cinnamon, fruit and nuts in all the right bars.
Okay, here’s my confession… I ate my WHOLE SEVEN BARS in one frantic food frenzy. I could not stop myself, so I wolfed down these tray bakes, brownies, and slices.
Birdy: Yeah, it’s just as well you did share with me so Honeybuns could actually get a decent review!
Variety
Birdy: I was really impressed with the sheer variety of cakes we got sent, and also browsing online, it really does seem like there’s something to suit just about everyone. Whether you’re vegan, gluten free or dairy free, Honeybuns likely has the cake for you!
Girdy: I’ve just confessed to how quickly I ate my Honeybun quota, so did I really saviour them at all? I probably didn’t, but I could taste and feel the difference between the bars, even at ravenous speed.
I’m confident you can use Honeybuns as a birthday shopping site for friends and family with gluten intolerances.
Shelf life
Birdy: It’s good to know that Honeybuns cakes all have a decent shelf life of anywhere between 12 – 35 days, BUT if you don’t want to eat your cakes in that time, you can also freeze them upon receipt for up to three months! So, no pressure.
When we received our cakes, we also got a detailed note telling us all of this information, with the shelf life from packing date of every single one of our cakes. This was very handy information to have.
Girdy: Sorry, I don’t understand the concept of ‘Shelf life’ in the context of these cakes. Honeybuns go in your mouth.
Value for money
Birdy: The cakes themselves are individually priced at £1.60, and if you find a cake you love, you can buy entire traybakes for £19.50. If you just want to try a selection of things, there are also great selection boxes you can order for £12 or £22. I’m fairly sure we got the Honeybuns taster box, and it was absolutely delicious! Would I pay for these cakes? Absolutely.
Girdy: I’ve friends who won’t buy food when they can make it more cheaply. That’s fair enough, but I’d buy Honeybuns. More significantly, I’d bulk buy Honeybuns, and that’s dangerous to my calorie count.
Overall
Birdy: I really, REALLY enjoyed my Honeybuns sample – unlike Girdy, I even shared mine with my partner, and he especially loved the brownie and flapjack he ate. I’d like to say, thank you so much, Honeybuns – I would most definitely recommend your cakes to anyone, and what’s more, I’d eat them all over again!
Girdy: With that one caveat, which is that based on this reviewers’ experience, we can’t really comment on Honeybuns’ customer care, I’d rush to recommend the shop.
Honeybuns review
Summary
Honeybuns is an online bakery offering delicious gluten free, vegan and dairy free cakes, slices and flapjacks for affordable prices. You can’t really go wrong!
Five stars all round for Birdy and five stars, in record time, from Girdy.
Looking for travel tips from locals? We've a things to do in Leith guide.
Leave a Reply