Morrisons is giving Scottish customers a free freshly baked hot cross bun on Friday for them to pass on to a neighbour or a loved one in an act of kindness this Easter.

The community initiative is being launched by Morrisons to bring people together.

Research for Morrisons revealed that nearly half of Scots (45 per cent) say life is too busy to get to know their neighbours.

Life pressures, such as work and family, have got in the way of community relationships, with 64 per cent admitting to never speaking to their neighbour and a further 71 per centof Scots admitting they have no idea who lives on their street. 

In response, Morrisons is producing the Giving Bun to encourage customers to give a free bun away as an act of kindness - offering people the chance to re-connect with their communities, neighbours and loved ones.

The study found that people today have less time for each other compared with previous years, with 67 per cent saying they do not feel as involved in their local community in comparison to previous generations.

Martin Clayton, Senior Bakery Manager at Morrisons, said: “Easter is a time to share and celebrate with family and friends.

We wanted to do something to help our customers make someone’s day, which is why we’re giving away free hand-made hot cross buns in our stores and asking customers to pass them on.”

This Easter, Morrisons is set to bake a record 330,000 of their own hot cross buns across their 491 stores, an increase of 10 per cent in comparison with last year’s hot cross bun sales, and making up over a fifth of all buns sold in the UK.

Morrisons’ bakeries freshly bake their own hot cross buns each day in store. To see the story behind Morrison’s hot cross buns this Easter, go to the Morrisons website: www.morrisons.com/easter 

Morrisons are also holding a Café Older Person event on Saturday the 15th April at 2.30pm – 5.00pm, offering members of the public over 60 years of age a free hot drink and a hot cross bun in Morrisons cafes nationwide.