The Eggceptions: Easter eggs that break all the rules

Tired of thin, predictable, one-size-fits-all Easter eggs? This 17^th April, join the rebellion…

We all know what to expect from a typical Easter egg: humbly sized, melt-away skinny and accompanied by the same chocolates that await us in the supermarket treat aisle. Ho, hum. This year, eschew the annual malaise and demand more from your Easter chocolate: more excitement. More wit, more options and more cacao – in short, chocolate that rejects the rulebook.

Rule #1

One size fits all

The rebels: The Ostrich Easter Egg. over a kilo of chocolate, the actual size of an ostrich egg, accompanied by a tray of 20 chocolates and six golden eggs. This year, there’s a new player among the range of Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Unbelievably Vegan* Ostrich Eggs. Combining a smorgasbord of bakery-inspired delights with the ubiquitously gargantuan egg, the Patisserie Ostrich Egg is box office – literally. Served in a glorious, reusable tin inspired by the shape of a growing cacao pod, the Ostrich Egg is an egg like no other.

Size isn’t everything, of course. Say hello to two-bite Tiddly Eggs or Speckled Eggs, perfect for a moment of escapism, or to take your cake-decorating to another level. Or maybe you’re more one for a modest Splat Easter Egg, in crowd-pleasing white, dark or milk chocolate.

Rule #2

Easter eggs should be egg-shaped.

The rebels: Easter Egg Sandwiches – for those who don’t take their eggs boiled, even at Easter. To make them even more authentic, we 3D-scanned real slices of wholemeal bread to create the cast, and serve them in takeaway boxes. We took the recipes in some unexpected directions too, from Lamb & Mint to Cookie Dough & Ice Cream via Marmalade on Toast, Caramayo and Chocolate Spread.

Rule #3

Easter eggs should be as thin as possible.

The rebels: Extra-Thick Easter Eggs. The received wisdom when we first made these was to keep them as thin as possible. We did the opposite, opting for ridiculously thick shells that are still satisfyingly snappable. Almost two decades on, they’re still your favourites. Brimming with filled chocolates too, we’ve now presented them in an elegant, reusable tin.

Rule #4

Play it safe with flavours.

The rebels: Hard-Boiled Easter Eggs. Some of us just want things the way we want them. For those people – the tenacious, the persistent, the sticklers – we’ve created an uncompromising egg that’s just the way you like it. For followers of audacious flavours, tuck into Ginger Dark, Mint Dark, 70% Dark and the uncompromising 100% Dark variants. They’re vegan-friendly* and bold as brass. Cast as a faceted egg inspired by a trip to the Tate Modern, we like to think of them as chocolate works of art.

*Please note that, although our Vegan recipes contain no dairy, they have been made in the same environment as our milk chocolate so we cannot guarantee it is free from milk.

Rule #5

Sugar is cheaper than cacao, so…

The rebel: More cacao, less sugar – it’s our mantra. And, if you ask us, it means your chocolate tastes better, satisfies with less – and is more considerate of the people who grow the cacao that goes into it. Our Gentle Farming programs in St Lucia and Ghana are carefully calibrated to subsidise, empower and train the farmers we work with to employ genuinely sustainable farming methods. That means zero deforestation, advanced, climate-resilient farming and 100% ethical labour practices. In return, we pay far above the market-rate per kilo, and buy the entire yield. These payments have been studiously crafted so that farmers can achieve a genuine living income, breaking the poverty trap and improving lives and communities. Ethical, sustainable cacao production is a journey, not a destination. But since the very beginning, we’ve always sought to do the right thing, tread lightly on the planet and treat farmers fairly.

Every recipe we create is guided by this maxim – and we make each one with nothing artificial, ever. So you know you’re challenging the status quo – and taking chocolate to new heights – with every Hotel Chocolat recipe you try. This Easter, why accept anything less?

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