THE amount raised by Bill the Baker's ancient hot cross bun takes the biscuit. This revered piece of gastronomic antiquity was revealed only to customers prepared to put down cash for their peep.
The result is a delighted Bill 'the Baker' Foster. It has enabled him to hand over a cheque for £163 to his favourite charity, Children's Hospice South West.
'The amount was beyond my wildest dreams — and I would like to thank everyone who has been so generous,' said the baker.
'I was hoping to raise the amount I paid for the bun, which was £150. To get £163 is brilliant.'
Bill's bun — which went past its 'sell by' date 173 years ago — has become something of a little flat celebrity since he bought it in Birmingham on a whim and brought it home to Tavistock.
Bill occasionally thinks of returning it to Stepney where it was baked in a bun house in 1828. Now, with tooth-breaking hardness, it has become such a local institution that Bill has even put 'home of the oldest hot cross bun in the world' on his bags.
'I may bring it out again to raise more money for charity,' said Bill.
'People are very interested. It has attracted much curiosity and media attention.'
As well as purchasing a peep of the bun with their donation everyone received a hot-cross bun fact sheet put together by Bill's wife Pam.
What next — the oldest Christmas pudding in the world? Bill thinks he may have one that goes back to the 1970s!