Braw

One of the many pandemic success stories, Braw is the brainchild of Limerick chocolatier, Anna Coffey Lynch. Choose from the milk chocolate Easter egg made with 40% Colombian luker chocolate (a sustainable and ethical chocolate producer in Colombia) filled with raspberries and pineapple or the dark chocolate egg filled with shortbread biscuit infused with Eleven 14 single origin coffee Colombian coffee; www.braw.ie. 

NearyNógs

Northern Ireland’s first bean to bar chocolatiers have an enticing range of handcrafted chocolate eggs filled with your choice of Irish Sea salted caramel, bourbon whiskey caramel, peanut butter or the hollow large golden goose egg. As there are no preservatives or chemicals in the eggs they typically have a shelf life of four weeks, with the golden goose egg lasting for twelve months, although, in reality we cannot see this being an issue; www.nearynogs.com. 

Hazel Mountain Chocolate

Small batch chocolate producers, Hazel Mountain Chocolate have a stunning collection of Easter treats to choose from, including the achingly beautiful ‘Wild Atlantic Easter Egg’, available in both milk or dark chocolate. There’s salted caramel bunnies, the Easter sharing slab and the oh-so-cute Henrietta milk chocolate chick for smaller appetites; www.hazelmountainchocolate.com. 

Joe and Sephs Chocolate Popcorn Easter Egg

An Easter egg with a salted caramel popcorn encrusted shell? Count us in. The chocolate popcorn Easter egg from London based gourmet popcorn makers, Joe and Sephs also comes with a packet of milk chocolate popcorn bites to see you through the festivities; www.brownthomas.com. 

Grá

The problem with the range of Easter treats from Grá Chocolates is deciding which one to choose, and then parting with it should it be destined for someone else. The ‘Bee My Honey’ is a luxury 70 per cent dark chocolate smooth, thick-shelled egg with chocolate coated honeycomb pieces and Sliabh Aughty Heather Honey, while the ‘Mint To Be’ Easter egg has chewy mint marshmallow pieces which delicately combine with the smooth chocolate for the ultimate peppermint fix; www.grachocolates.com. 

Skelligs Chocolate

The range of Easter eggs by Kerry-based Skelligs Chocolate for this year includes a solid hazelnut praline egg, a sea salted caramel egg, a honeycomb and marshmallow egg, a solid mint chocolate egg and for those who are resigned to sharing, the ‘Couples Egg’ has half Teelings Whiskey and half strawberry and champagne. Incidentally, Skelligs also do a very good vegan egg if so required; www.skelligschocolate.com. 

Koko Kinsale

Perfect for a touch of nostalgia, the Koko Crème Egg from Kinsale-based small batch artisan chocolatiers, Koko is sure to impress. The Easter range also includes a dark chocolate orange Easter egg, a milk or dark chocolate bunny and a selection of stunning hand painted eggs. There is also a wide range of vegan chocolates and treats to choose from; www.kokokinsale.com. 

The Proper Chocolate Company

Dublin’s bean-to-bar chocolate makers have a wonderfully unusual range of eggs to tempt this Easter including the tarte tatin egg with salted caramel and apple, as well the gin fizz Easter egg. We will likely be keeping it simple with the dark chocolate Easter egg with Achill Island Sea Salt; www.properchocolatecompany.com. 

Butler’s Chocolates

It’s not Easter without some Butler’s Chocolates. Using sustainably sourced cocoa to craft the range of exceptional chocolate Easter eggs, our top picks for this year include the Easter bundles (available in small, medium and large) filled with Butler’s most loved Easter products, and the cute Chocolate Chicks which also make a gorgeous addition to your Easter table – for more inspiration on designing an Easter tablescape, follow this link; www.butlerschocolates.com. 

Bean and Goose

The hare not only heralds the arrival of spring, the bean goose – the inspiration for the Bean and Goose name – is a rare winter visitor whose departure also signals that spring is beginning. Handmade in Co Wexford, both these creatures are brought to detailed life using sustainably-sourced single origin milk or dark chocolate from Ecuador. Nestled in recyclable packaging, this year’s Irish Hare and Bean Goose are wrapped in lovely artwork created for the special collection with Avoca, by Dublin-based illustrator, Anne O’Hara. Priced at €19.50 each, both are created using vegetarian-friendly chocolate; www.beanandgoose.ie. 

Lorge Chocolatiers

Kenmare-based Benoit Lorge’s speciality is luxury, hand-made chocolates which any connoisseur will appreciate. He also organises chocolate courses for professionals and enthusiasts. If you can’t make it to Kenmare, don’t worry, his colourful Easter eggs are now available at Avoca, priced from €11.95 to €27.95; www.avoca.com. 

Lily O’Brien’s

The Lily O’Brien’s Desserts Collection Egg, €15, is generous and includes a luxurious hand-crafted milk chocolate egg with a selection of chocolates including three of the best loved recipes from the Desserts collection; Crème Brulee, Raspberry infusion and Key Lime Pie; www.lilyobriens.ie. 

Chez Emily

Chez Emily is a family-run business with a huge focus on bringing consumers a truly artisanal handmade product made from original family recipes with care and motivation. Their core goal is to continue to create a selection of delicious vegan- friendly and gluten-friendly chocolate. The Chez Emily Dark Gold Dust Egg is €12.95 available at Avoca; www.avoca.com. 

Ashford Castle

Guests staying at Ashford Castle this Easter will be gifted one of its Easter eggs, hand painted and created by Director of Chocolate and Patisserie, Paula Stakelum. The eggs can also be bought online, €60, but you’ll need to be quick as there are only 100 of these creations available. Inspired by the theme “A sense of place”, the colours of the Easter egg symbolise the Castle’s cherry blossom avenue, where 90 cherry trees were planted in 2020. Inside are chocolate shards made from Ashford Castle’s bespoke chocolate Couverture “Legen”’, a rich milk chocolate with hints of sweet vanilla and biscuit, enhanced by floral and honey aromas. The cocoa beans are sustainably sourced in keeping with Ashford Castle’s impressive sustainability credentials; www.ashfordcastle.com. 

Arcane Chocolate

Created by Dublin-based Belgian chocolatier Erik Van der Veken, Arcane luxury eggs combine artistry and exquisite flavour combinations. The collection features large multi-faceted eggs in six dramatic designs. Two new eggs debut this year: Treasures of the Rainforest, €70, made with Bolivian wild Criollo Amazonico cacao couverture. Extremely rare, less than 0.1 per cent of the cacao beans in global circulation are of this variety, harvested exclusively by indigenous Chimane natives. Each egg is filled with truffles made with wild Bolivian cacao. The Caramel Crunch Easter egg, €62, is made from signature 43 per cent origin Ghana milk couverture with a layer of caramel milk chocolate with pieces of homemade crunchy salted butter toffee and toasted biscuit. The Easter egg is filled with a mixture of dragées including Arcane Chocolate’s golden nuggets and Piedmontese hazelnuts; www.arcanechocolate.com. 

The Chocolate Garden of Ireland

This award-winning Wicklow-based chocolatier, established by Jim and Mary Healy in 2001, offers delicious Easter themed products and gifts, including an adorable Becky Bunny, €7.75, and Half a Dozen Milk & White Chocolate Egg Box, €9.50, available at Avoca; www.avoca.com.  

Aine Chocolates

You may not realise that Lidl’s Easter egg selection, including its Deluxe Prosecco Easter Egg, €8.99, is handcrafted by local Cavan supplier, Aine’s Chocolates, whose master chocolatier is Ann Rudden. She has won over 20 Great Taste Awards for her melt-in-the-mouth chocolates. For the full selection visit www.lidl.ie. 

Tony Chocolonely

Perfect for those looking to celebrate Easter with a conscience, every purchase supports Tony’s mission to make all chocolate 100 per cent slave free. We particularly like the mini egg selections – perfect for adding to tablescapes as a last-minute decoration. Choose from Egg-stra Special Chocolate Egg Mixed Flavour Pouch, Egg-stra Special Chocolate Egg Sea Salt Caramel Pouch, and Egg-stra Special Milk Chocolate Egg Pouch, all from €4.99 – €5.99 at stockists nationwide including at Brown Thomas; www.tonychocolonely.com. 

Marks & Spencer

Wilma the Sausage Dog, Harry the Hedgehog, Inky the Octopus and Charlie the Bunny are some of the family-friendly additions to M&S’s Easter egg line-up this year. Many of its luxury Easter eggs this year are inspired by an artistic theme, including the new Drippy Egg and the Collection Belgian Milk Chocolate Floral Egg, €20. Hand-decorated with delicate sugar flowers and leaves, this is the perfect gift for chocolate lovers and gardeners; www.marksandspencer.com.