John Whaite; compiled by Molly Tait-Hyland 

Crack on! John Whaite rates the best and worst chocolate Easter eggs

The Great British Bake Off winner and Strictly finalist gives his verdict on 2022’s high street Easter treats
  
  

John Whaite with Easter eggs
John Whaite. Grooming: Juliana Sergot using Kiehl's Photograph: Perou/The Observer

Strazzanti
Mini Sicilian pistachio-filled Easter egg chocolate truffles
325g, £18, strazzanti.co
Glorious, glorious. A true pistachio flavour. The chocolate is very delicate and it complements the filling. For all pistachio lovers.
★★★★★

Tony’s Chocolonely
Egg-stra special chocolate eggs mixed flavour pouch
255g, £5, sainsburys.co.uk
Oooh, they are solid. Mmm… salted caramel. It’s just such good-quality chocolate. Very pleasing. It’s an indulgence. There’s variety, it’s diverse, I like that a lot.
★★★★★

Co-op Irresistible
Fairtrade hand-finished hot cross bun egg
175g, £5, coop.co.uk
It has a good smoothness to it. I like the dried fruit. There’s a spicy orange flavour as well. I would buy that – for me. Anyone who likes hot cross buns and chocolate would love that.
★★★★

Heston from Waitrose
The golden apple
260g, £15, waitrose.com
The small chocolates are praline and are nice and toasty. The apple shell is a lovely combination: very bitter, fruity dark chocolate with caramelised white chocolate. Confusing but enjoyable.
★★★★

Marks & Spencer
The drippy egg
310g, £10, ocado.com
I think it’s quite cute, very colourful. It has the vibrancy of Easter. It’s sour but in a nice way, sweet but with a nice acidity to it. I could eat a whole one of these.
★★★★

Morrisons The Best
Chocolate collection raspberry and Belgian white chocolate egg
165g, £5, morrisons.com
That tangy raspberry flavour is instant. It’s really smooth. A little bit powdery on the finish but really lovely, fruity flavour.
★★★★

Moser Roth
Crispy hazelnut luxury filled eggs
150g, £1.99, aldi.co.uk
I like the texture of the interior; it has a nice nutty flavour. The chocolate is average but I could see myself reaching for a fistful of those. There is something reassuring about them.
★★★★

Sainsbury’s
Belgian milk chocolate tiramisu egg
260g, £8, sainsburys.co.uk
Good brittle chocolate. The coffee flavour isn’t bitter – it’s subtle, not affronting. There’s harmony in that. It tastes like a tiramisu.
★★★★

Aldi
Choceur choco changer salted caramel milk chocolate
170g, £4.99, aldi.co.uk
It has a sickly smell, kind of sweet and vanilla-y. I like the crunch from the caramel bits. It’s very sweet. Not unpleasant, just different?
★★★

Doisy & Dam
Dark chocolate good eggs
75g, £2, ocado.com
They deliver on what they promise to be, but I think they’re a little bit bitter for my liking … Too close to the bitter end of bittersweet – but some people like that.
★★★

Marks & Spencer
Harri the hedgehog
135g, £5, ocado.com
I really want to like him … It’s cute and kids would like that but it’s not the most special chocolate. It’s waxy, so when you get the flavour, it lingers because it coats your mouth. Not groundbreaking, but inoffensive.
★★★

Allpress
Espresso eggs
180g, £15, uk.shop.allpressespresso.com
You can smell the coffee and the chocolate is bitter. Grown-up eggs. Boisterous in taste and texture. They don’t float my boat, but if you like coffee chocolate, you’ll like these.
★★★

Sainsbury’s
The Yolkers hollow white chocolate egg with pink lips
145g, £3.50, sainsburys.co.uk
As sweet as you’d expect. I’d give it to my nephews; they’d find it girly but I’m trying to break stereotypes with Easter eggs.
★★★

Farhi
Milk chocolate praline mini eggs luxury gift box
370g, £17.50, farhi.co.uk
The praline flavour is lovely and toasty but I think the chocolate flavour lets it down – it’s quite powdery. Perhaps the pralines are a little bit sweet. They look nice for an Easter table or hunt.
★★

Daylesford
Hand-painted bee Easter egg
200g, £18, daylesford.com
It’s cute for kids but very bitter – I think that’s why this one’s eyes are pointing in different directions: it doesn’t know its audience. That’s a chocolate egg going through a midlife crisis.

(All items were blind-tested)

 

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