With just a few weeks to go until Easter Sunday, consider this your advance notice to snap up some of the country’s best and most delicious chocolatey treats for the season.
While we’d never turn our nose up at a nostalgic Easter egg from the supermarket, if you’re looking for something truly special – and Irish to boot – to share with loved ones, Irish chocolatiers across the country have been hard at work in their Wonka-esque workshops, creating indulgent treats that combine the playfulness of Easter with a passion for Irish produce.
From wreath-shaped chocolate treats and mini egg-filled bars, to eggs loaded with lip-smacking fillings, we’ve rounded up some of the best Easter specials to get your hands on now.
Hazel Mountain Chocolate
Based near the Burren in Co Clare, Hazel Mountain Chocolate is a bean-to-bar chocolate factory – the only one in the Republic – that has become renowned for its stunning creations that put chocolate front and centre.This year, alongside their carrot-shaped Bunny Munch chocolates, is an edible chocolate wreath for the table, filled with creamy pistachio and crunchy pieces (€28.95) – a real showstopping treat!
Bon Chocolates
Easter treats from Michelin-trained chefs? Say no more.
Having worked with pastry masters Amaury Guichon and Vincent Valée, Tullamore-based Georgia and Daniel, partners in both life and business, have brought their expertise to the chocolate world, creating mini bites of culinary art in their chocolate. They’re best known for their colourful treats, and their Easter specials are no different: with everything from honeycomb-filled eggs to nutty caramel-filled mini eggs (above, €11), our choice would be the Hazelnut Rocher-filled egg (€26.50).
Koko Kinsale
Founded by former ceramics gallery owner Francis Keane and co-led by his daughter Emily, Kerry-based Koko Kinsale are immediately recognisable thanks to their painterly creations. This year they’ve gone all out, creating their own Koko Creme Eggs (€5), hand-painted eggs (€30) and more. Our favourite – and Emily’s favourite – however, is the chocolate eggs in stunning mugs (€22), a nostalgic throwback to a true childhood classic.
Lorge Chocolatier
This premium chocolatier based in Kenmare, Co Kerry has long been fighting the good fight in the name of artisan chocolate, and its founder Benoit Lorge keeps upping the ante with his creations. This year’s Easter crop includes a range of hollow and filled eggs in a variety of sizes (€11.50 – €49) and boxes of chocolates (€38), but our pick is the incredibly detailed chocolate Hen (€14.50).
Clo Chocolates
Founded by chocolatier Clothilde Rambaud, Sligo-based Clo Chocolates is known for its eye-catching creations and premium chocolate. This year, the team has collaborated with renowned Irish artist Shane O’Driscoll to create their new Atlantic Easter Eggs (starting from €24.95). The eggs come in milk or dark chocolate and are filled with their signature Atlantic praline, made with Sligo-made Knocknarea honey and award-winning Donegal Sea Salt.
While you’re at it, treat yourself to a Bunny Mallow, a firm favourite with shoppers (€9.95) or their colourful mini egg-filled Easter bar (above, €10.95).
Grá
Headed up by chef Gráinne Mullins and known for their hand-painted chocolates filled with locally sourced ingredients, Grá chocolates are almost too beautiful to eat – almost. The Galway-based team have been crafting exceptional treats year after year, such as their Egg-STRAW-dinary Easter Egg (above, €55) filled with strawberry bubbly chocolate. We expect their Pistachio Emerald: A Dubai Dream egg (from €31) filled with pistachio cream will be a sell-out, so act fast!
Wilde Irish Chocolates
Based in Tuamgraney, Co Clare, Wilde Irish Chocolates are known for their playful and inventive take on chocolate, bringing visitors up close to the process in their open-plan chocolate factory. Their Easter specials this year are a range of colourfully decorated eggs that go big on flavour. Our pick is the dazzling Biscoff White Chocolate Egg (€39.95), filled with oozing soft Biscoff and dark chocolate layers, topped with white chocolate and stuffed with crushed Biscoff biscuits.
Bean and Goose
Run by sisters Karen and Natalie Keane, Bean and Goose is a bean-to-bar business that has become known for its surprising and high-quality combinations of flavours and large ‘slab’ bars. For Easter, they’ve brought back their intricately designed chocolate geese and hares (€30.50), but we’d love one of their filled Milk Chocolate Sea Salted Caramel Goose Eggs (€27.50).
Temptations Chocolates
Headed up by twin sisters and self-taught chocolatiers Kate and Ruth O’Hara, Temptations Chocolates are incredibly true to their name: shiny, colourful bonbons that are hard to resist. Handmade in Abbeyleix, Co Laois, this year’s Easter collection includes Triple Layer Easter Eggs (€48) in a range of flavours such as Passion Fruit, Banoffee and Double Salted Caramel.
Sugar Plum Sweetery
After taking Ireland by storm with their take on the Dubai chocolate bar, it’s not surprising that Westmeath’s Sugar Plum Sweetery is going all in on their Easter collection this year. They have created filled eggs inspired by their popular bars like Bueno Boss and Cookie Cloud Caramel, but we’d opt for the Dubai x Bueno Mash Up Egg, so you’re getting the best of two best sellers (€39.95).
Chez Emily
Based in Ashbourne, Co Meath and Dublin, and celebrating 30 years in business this year, Chez Emily continues to dish out delightfully fun and delicious Belgian chocolates. For Easter they have a range of items from eggs and slabs to little egg-shaped pralines, but our pick would be the Rocky Road Egg (€22.50), a half egg filled with a decadent mixture of chocolate, nuts and marshmallow and topped with multicoloured sprinkles – the sight of it alone is enough to make you giddy for Easter!
NearyNógs
Newry’s NearyNógs is Northern Ireland’s first bean-to-bar chocolate producer and specialises in small batch stoneground chocolate, making it exceptionally high quality and delicious to boot. This year’s Easter collection includes handmade chocolate bunnies (€9.95), filled with vegan caramel that is freshly made the day they’re packaged. But for us? We can’t resist one of their classic eggs (from €15.95).