Easter eggs: novelty twists in the UK

Some consumers in the UK are breaking one of Easter’s traditions by not buying chocolate Easter eggs. According to GlobalData’s research, fewer Britons purchased chocolate Easter eggs and novelties in 2017 versus the previous year, with 53.4% of consumers purchasing them in 2017, compared to 57.5% in 2016, a fall of nearly 4%.

To maintain consumers’ interest in Easter chocolate eggs, some confectionery companies and supermarkets are developing unusual shapes for this chocolate product.

Waitrose has launched an avocado-themed Easter egg. It contains fruit and has Belgian dark chocolate for the outer shell, a white chocolate centre dyed with green food colouring, and an inner cocoa-sprinkled chocolate “stone.” Waitrose said that this Easter egg is by far the most popular own-brand egg sold in its 114-year history. Also, Hotel Chocolat introduced a chocolate sandwich with an egg shape in the centre. To create the “sandwich” Hotel Chocolat put a loaf of wholemeal bread through a 3D scanner, and the result does look something like the real thing.

Non-confectionery food manufactures are tapping into growing consumer awareness around sugar intake by making their own style of Easter egg. Cheese producer Blacksticks Blue sells a “Cheester” egg made entirely from cheese. The health food store, Holland & Barrett launched its “Good Egg”, an Easter egg with no added sugar, which is made of cocoa and soya flour.

Next Easter expect to see Easter-inspired products by manufacturers from a range of consumer goods categories – not only food related but potentially extending into drinks, personal care and potentially pet care.