The sweetest eggs for Easter

Hotel Chocolat

The much-loved British purveyor of fine chocolate, Hotel Chocolat, measured up an actual ostrich egg – the largest egg of any living bird – to create this mammoth Easter offering. The Classic Ostrich Egg is made with half 40 per cent milk chocolate with crunchy cookies and puffed rice, and half 50 per cent milk chocolate with crispy feuilletine. A dark version (pictured above) is also available,made with half 70% dark chocolate with almonds and a dash of salt, and half 70% dark chocolate with hazelnuts and another sprinkling of salt.

Both giant eggs come with a tray of 27 delicious chocolates – pralines, truffles, caramels and more – plus six hidden golden eggs secluded somewhere in the box for you to hunt. The exclusive Easter gift amounts to more than a kilo of chocolate – which should keep you going until next Easter.

Fortnum & Mason The Colossal Egg

Nestled within this weighty creation is not one but five eggs, each a different flavour. Work your way through layers of milk chocolate and salted honeycomb, dark chocolate orange, milk chocolate and finally white chocolate, strawberry and black pepper, before reaching a perfectly formed petite egg of mint-infused dark chocolate in the middle.

Hotel Cafe Royal Luxury Easter Egg

This stately offering from Sarah Barber, executive pastry chef at the Hotel Cafe Royal, is crafted using chocolate from high-end French producer Valrhona. Sprayed in regal red and adorned with gold features, this opulent egg also comes with a selection of white chocolate and raspberry truffles inside.

Paul A Young Salted Caramel Hen’s Egg

Paul A Young is perhaps best known for his legendary salted caramel, which at Easter time is found inside a golden egg, nestled within an eggcup. Crack open with a spoon and dip in toasted brioche for the ultimate egg and soldiers. Alternatively, his expansive seasonal range contains all manner of edible treats to suit any palate, from playful chocolate chickens and bunnies to decadent truffles infused with the flavours of spring.

Claridge’s Art Deco Easter Egg

The hotel has drawn on its Art Deco heritage for a chic egg that takes inspiration from its iconic black-and-white checkerboard lobby. Available in milk, white and dark chocolate variations, each egg is painstakingly handmade over three days and comes stuffed with chocolate praline quail eggs.

Venchi Nougatine Easter Egg

This renowned Italian chocolatier is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year with a special edition of its popular nougatine Easter egg, featuring 56% dark chocolate studded with pieces of caramelised Piedmont hazelnuts. It comes in a retro tin decorated with Venchi advertising imagery from the 1900s, while inside is an extra surprise gift.

Pierre Herme Oeuf Fragments

Master patissier Pierre Herme’s chocolate creations are as much works of art as they are edible treats. This year’s egg looks almost too good to eat, featuring a contemporary, sculptural form with delicate cracks revealing a glittering layer beneath. It comes constructed from a choice of Pure Origin 64% dark chocolate, the maison’s signature milk or blond chocolate infused with toasty, biscuit notes.

Pierre Marcolini The Egg Hat

For 2018, Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini has been inspired by the art technique trompe-l’oeil for a series of witty edible works that deceive the eye. Among the most playful is this bunny-shaped egg perched atop a set of drawers, one of which contains several flavours of mini eggs and the other a selection of caramel-filled animals.

Harrods Milk Chocolate Egg

Opt for a tried-and-tested classic with this minimal design from Harrods head pastry chef Alistair Birt. Made from the finest 45% Colombian milk chocolate, it can be personalised in-store with  a name or other message of your choice.