Another Easter treat, mini eggs, have also been expanding into different flavours in recent years. In 2024 Cadbury’s released orange mini eggs, rivalling Terry’s chocolate orange versions which first appeared in 2020, joining other milk and white chocolate varieties.
And it’s a similar story in the world of big Easter eggs. Visiting a supermarket in Manchester city centre, we see two kinds of “layered” easter eggs – one made of chocolate and a caramelised biscuit spread, the other with caramel but no biscuit.
A “chocolate doughnut Easter egg” triggers curiosity – a shell blended with shortbread and fudge pieces, topped with sprinkles.
Down the road we meet 78-year-old John, who tells us he’s very open to trying new foods, but still has an allegiance with many of the classics.
“You’re kind of torn between holding on to the original and trying the new,” John says. “But I quite like the hot cross bun with a bit of apple.”
His favourite treat, however, is the Simnel cake, a traditional fruitcake typically made with a layer of either marzipan or almond paste and associated with Lent.
“You don’t find it very much 1774679769,” John laments. ” It’s a wonderful thing, very special for Easter.”
It’s easy to see why more inventive Easter creations keep appearing on our shelves – people like to buy them. Research group Mintel says 75% of the 2,000 people it surveyed in December had bought food or drink for Easter in the last year, with chocolate the most popular purchase (48%) followed by cakes, sweet bakes or desserts (23%).
More broadly, the agency also has research from October 2025 suggesting seven in 10 people generally enjoy food and drink that provides new experiences such as new flavours.