First solid chocolate Easter Egg hits UK shelves

The company based in West Sussex, UK said it wanted to create an alternative to traditional hollow Easter Eggs using premium ingredients, in this case 750 g of solid Belgian chocolate split into 42 bite size pieces.

Jigsaw puzzle design

Simon Allison, MD, The Solid Chocolate Company, said the pieces fit together like a jigsaw puzzle to make it easier to consume the product.

“It’s not rocket science to put two solid halves together, but that wasn’t good enough for us. We wanted to have an egg made of solid, bite-sized pieces that fit together to make a solid egg​,” he said.

“But we didn’t stop there. Many Easter eggs are made from poor quality, super sweet chocolate, so we decided to go for quality, Belgian chocolate to make eating our eggs a truly luxurious experience​.”

The eggs are available in milk, white, dark and caramel chocolate for £24.99 ($31) from online retailer Amazon.

According to Francisco Redruello, senior foods analyst, Euromonitor, s​easonal periods such as Easter allow manufacturers to experiment with new formats and flavors and to test the ground for larger scale innovation at a relatively low cost.

Indulgence at a reasonable price

“Recently, the industry has focused on increasing the added value of seasonal chocolate by launching premium lines targeted at the adult segment. In Italy and France, Ferrero and Lindt have introduced Easter egg ranges which have higher cocoa contents and feature premium packaging that differentiates them from traditional children lines​,” he said.

He added, the current economic situation is encouraging chocolate producers to complement this premium strategy with innovations that offer indulgence at reasonable prices.  ​

"Despite the differences in regional growth and range of products on offer, seasonal chocolate is regarded by the industry as a crucial period for experimentation in packaging, flavor and fillings concepts for the entire chocolate confectionery sector​,” he said.

“Transferring the lessons learnt in seasonal confectionery into the main confectionery lines is pivotal in achieving longer-term success for the wider product portfolio​.”