Easter is fast approaching and Britons are likely beginning their search for the best chocolate treat to tuck into this year.
GB News sampled a selection of Easter eggs from eight of Britain’s biggest brands and retailers to name the greatest chocolate treat on offer.
Waitrose No.1 The Cracking Pistachio was GB News' unanimous favourite, and it received a near perfect store. This was followed closely by eggs from Aldi, Lidl and Thorntons.
But if you're not a pistachio fan - or you're just looking for a cheap and cheerful standard chocolate egg - Britain's supermarkets have a wonderful selection available. Here are our verdicts.
Tesco Free From Chocolate Egg With Buttons was rated 5/10, while the Lidl The Deluxe Marble Egg Triple Chocolate scored 4.5/10
Tesco / Lidl
Tesco
Tesco Free From Chocolate Egg With Buttons - 5/10
Tesco’s own-brand Easter eggs are in its Free From range this year. GB News journalists tucked into Tesco Free From Chocolate Egg With Buttons (115g), which is free from gluten, wheat, and milk, priced at £3.
The free-from chocolate egg certainly caters to the masses, but the team wasn’t overly impressed, giving it an average rating of 5/10. The overall consensus was that Tesco's own-brand egg could have been thicker and more bitter.
Inside the packet was a little plastic bag of chocolate buttons. These were tasty and definitely a nice addition to the pack, but testers thought the chocolate buttons would have been better as a surprise stored within the egg, rather than next to it in the packet.
Aldi
Specially Selected Belgian Milk Ripple Egg With Honeycomb & Pretzel - 8/10
GB News tucked into two Fair Trade Easter eggs from Aldi this year. The Specially Selected Belgian Milk Ripple Egg With Honeycomb & Pretzel (200g), was priced at £4.99 and went down as an absolute treat.
This Easter concoction has a unique shape, making an interesting change from a traditional Easter egg. While it looked like an egg, its hard ridges gave it an excellent texture - the best texture of the bunch.
Of all the eggs we tried, Aldi's honeycomb and pretzel egg had the most flavour. We gave it a score of 8/10.
GB News' own Patrick Christys was a big fan of the supermarket's Specially Selected Belgian Milk Ripple Egg With Honeycomb & Pretzel. He said: "I quite like the funky shape of this." As for the taste, he said: "This is fantastic - I could do this all day." Ultimately, the chocolate fan awarded this egg an 8/10.
Aldi's Specially Selected Milk Chocolate & Orange Marble Egg - 7.5/10
GB News also sampled Aldi's Specially Selected Milk Chocolate & Orange Marble Egg (240g), priced at £6.99.
The stunning marble mix of chocolate swirled with bright orange was the most aesthetically pleasing Easter egg we tried.
Our testers were very happy with the taste too overall. There is a worry that orange flavours can overpower chocolate if the balance isn't right. However, Aldi got it spot on, with the team praising its "great ratio". For appearance and taste, the team awarded Aldi's second egg 7.5/10.
Marks and Spencer
Totally Nutterly Utterly Easter Egg - 5.75/10
Marks and Spencer was recently named "best in-store supermarket" by Which? - but how did its Easter egg fare?
We tried the M&S Totally Nutterly Utterly Easter Egg (210g), priced at £7, and the milk chocolate egg loaded with salted and caramelised peanut pieces had mixed reviews.
Some thought it was incredibly nutty and loved the crunchy texture, but others on the team were disappointed with the nut ratio - you can't please everyone.
However, one opinion was agreed upon unanimously: The chocolate was "delicious". The chocolate and nut combo was given a modest 5.75/10 overall.
Speaking about Aldi Specially Selected Belgian Milk Ripple Egg With Honeycomb & Pretzel, Patrick Christys said it was "fantastic"
Aldi
Thorntons Classic Milk Chocolate Egg scored higher than Marks and Spencer Totally Nutterly Utterly Easter Egg - despite it being the UK's best in-store supermarket
Marks and Spencer / Iceland
Lidl
The team tried two Fair Trade Easter eggs from Lidl. The Deluxe Marble Egg (180g) comes in Triple Chocolate and Pink Gin flavours, both priced at £6.99. GB News tested the Triple Chocolate option.
Lidl Deluxe Triple Chocolate Marble Egg - 4.5/10
We were rather excited to experience the decadent flavours of milk, white and dark chocolate all combined, however, the dark chocolate was not as prominent as its milkier counterparts.
Indeed, one team member branded it "too sweet" and was hoping for a little bitterness. While the egg did taste lovely, it didn't quite do what it said it would, so the team awarded it a 4.5/10.
Lidl Milk Chocolate and Salted Caramel Egg - 8/10
Lidl's second Easter egg, the Milk Chocolate and Salted Caramel Egg, priced at £4.99, was stunning - one member of the team couldn't contain herself and said this egg was "everything", an absolute 10/10.
GB News testers were big fans of this egg overall, giving it a score of 8/10. Its chewy salted caramel pearls were the perfect addition and provided an unexpected burst of flavour.
Waitrose
Waitrose No.1 The Cracking Pistachio - 8.75/10
Waitrose No.1 The Cracking Pistachio (312g) was the biggest of all the Easter eggs this year but also the most expensive, priced at £14.
This hefty pricetag may feel a little off-putting for Britons trying to do Easter on a budget - particularly if you have more than one chocoholic to buy for this year.
However, according to the GB News team, Waitrose No.1 The Cracking Pistachio is a must-buy for Easter 2024. Testers branded it the "favourite” and said “it’s delicious” when they tried the Fair Trade egg.
The official description of the delectable egg reads: "White chocolate with caramelised sugar shell, with a coloured chocolate pistachio flavoured egg with chopped pistachio nuts.
"Inside a shell of Waitrose & Partners No. 1 blonde chocolate hides an indulgent pistachio flavoured egg speckled with pistachio nibs." GB News gave this one 8.75/10.
The team suggests Britons head to their local Waitrose and buy it right away. Patrick Christys couldn't have been more impressed with the chocolate-pistachio concoction. He called it "heaven in a box" and said he could "eat this all day".
Waitrose Caramel Ribbon Easter Egg - 7.5/10
Those who are keen to snap a Waitrose Easter egg for less can purchase a Waitrose Caramel Ribbon Easter Egg for around half the price.
The £7 egg is on offer for £5.50 online at the time of writing. It boasts a gorgeous caramel shimmer which is a lovely aesthetic touch.
Salted caramel fans will go wild for this egg as the flavour is incredibly intense. But despite this, it is smooth and the perfect level of rich and decadent.
For a luxury Waitrose egg on a budget, this one is a real treat. We rated it 7.5/10. However, if you're looking for an Easter egg with a caramel touch, we prefer Lidl's more affordable Milk Chocolate and Salted Caramel Egg.
Thorntons
Thorntons Classic Milk Chocolate Egg - 8/10
Thorntons may not be a supermarket, but we simply could not do an Easter egg taste test without sampling something from the British chocolate manufacturer. Synonymous with luxury chocolate, we were excited to try this one.
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Tucking into Waitrose No.1 The Cracking Pistachio, Patrick Christys gave it the ultimate compliment: 'It's heaven in a box'
Waitrose
Thorntons Classic Milk Chocolate Egg (150g) has a recommended retail price of £5.50. For this price, you get a tasty chocolate egg and five classic Thorntons chocolates.
Unsurprisingly, the words that came to mind were "smooth", "melt in your mouth", "luxurious" and "decadent". The team also enjoyed the four white and dark chocolate stripes which added a chic touch.
Overall, the chocolate egg and classic chocolate combo was given a very solid 8/10. The taste of the chocolate was faultless but perhaps could have benefited from a hint of a second flavour like some of the other eggs.
Cadbury
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Chunky Easter Egg - 7/10
Another brand that could not be missed on the list was Cadbury and the British chocolatier has lots of Easter eggs on offer this year, from Twirl and Creme Egg, to Mini Egg and Caramilk.
GB News tried the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Chunky Easter Egg which comes with 400 grams of thick, Dairy Milk chocolate to tuck into, RRP £12.
Every bite had the classic creamy flavour of Cadbury and reviewers appreciated the thicker-than-average egg. However, some branded it a bit "plain and simple". Still it will be a must-buy for any Dairy Milk fans.
Lily O'Brien
Lily O’Brien’s Desserts Collection Egg - 6/10
GB News tried the Lily O’Brien’s Desserts Collection Egg (240g) which is available for £10 in many supermarkets.
The luxury treat brand is known for its dessert flavoured chocolates and the unique flavours proved very popular with GB News testers.
The taste of the egg slightly missed the mark, however, and testers hoped it would be creamier and more flavourful. It received a modest rating overall of 6/10. However, it was accompanied by six dessert chocolates that GB News journalists recommend on their own.
The verdict
For a decadent, luxury treat, Waitrose No.1 The Cracking Pistachio is a must-try chocolate egg, awarded 8.75/10 by the team. It's undoubtedly expensive, but if you're willing to pay a little extra, it's worth it.
A few Easter eggs were crowned in second place, with a very impressive rating of 8/10. Aldi Specially Selected Belgian Milk Ripple Egg With Honeycomb & Pretzel was incredible, and Thorntons Classic Milk Chocolate Egg was equally delicious, both well worth snapping up this season.
Unfortunately, Lidl The Deluxe Marble Egg Triple Chocolate fell short of expectations, and we awarded it the lowest score of 4.5/10. But Lidl shoppers needn't despair, as the Milk Chocolate and Salted Caramel Egg more than made up for it.
Best to worst Easter eggs of 2024
Waitrose No.1 The Cracking Pistachio: 8.75/10 (and 12/10 from Patrick Christys)
Aldi Specially Selected Belgian Milk Ripple Egg With Honeycomb & Pretzel: 8/10
Lidl Milk Chocolate and Salted Caramel Egg: 8/10
Thorntons Classic Milk Chocolate Egg: 8/10
Aldi's Specially Selected Milk Chocolate & Orange Marble Egg: 7.5/10
Waitrose Caramel Ribbon Easter Egg: 7.5/10
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Chunky Easter Egg: 7/10
Lily O’Brien’s Desserts Collection Egg 6/10
Marks and Spencer Totally Nutterly Utterly Easter Egg: 5.75/10
Tesco Free From Chocolate Egg With Buttons: 5/10
Lidl The Deluxe Marble Egg Triple Chocolate: 4.5/10
