The very British snack that's at risk of being wiped out in favour of French treats

Chelsea buns were first created in the 19th century (Image: GETTY)

A British staple is at risk of being wiped out because UK shoppers prefer a French sweet treat.

Chelsea buns may soon be a thing of the past due to the gaining popularity of a counterpart made in France and another type of pastry local to Portugal.

The square snack - made with rolled-out dough, currants, brown sugar and butter - was first created in mid-19th century London at the Old Chelsea Bun House.

Since then, the treats have been imported around the world, finding their way to countries on distant continents like North America and Oceania.

But other countries exporting their own treats have put the buns' existence in jeopardy, a Government minister has warned.

Other European pastries are exceeding the Chelsea bun in popularity (Image: GETTY)

Speaking to the London Evening Standard, Greg Hands, the Minister for London, said Chelsea buns are now "hard to come by".

He said: "I remember as a child how virtually every bakery stocked fresh Chelsea buns, yet now the delicacy is hard to come by, having lost popularity to the hot cross bun, the croissant, the pain aux raisins and so on.

"It is nonetheless very tasty and has a long London tradition. As seen with the 200-year-old bun in the Museum of London, it is a very rich part of the city's heritage, and I would be delighted to see its revival."

Mr Hands has launched a campaign to alert people to the threat of extinction and save the sweet treat.

The minister is working with Partridges, the upscale convenience store based in Duke of York Square, Chelsea, to revive the Chelsea Bun.

The area was home to the bun shop that created the original bun, which is said to have courted queues of up to 50,000 people clamouring for a taste of the treat.

Legendary Londoners Lewis Carroll, Jonathan Swift and Charles Dickens were reportedly among the people who visited to buy a few buns of their own, and the new campaign hopes to re-establish that former fame.

However, some Britons are less than pleased with the campaign and have criticised the minister for failing to address more significant issues.

Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, one user said: "What the f**k are you on about? Has your party got no governing left to do?"

Another sarcastically added: "Glad to see you're concentrating on the important things rather than the petty stuff like poverty and homelessness."