Why are Easter eggs so expensive? And what does the weather have to do with it...
You may remember a time when Easter eggs came with all sorts of goodies like full size chocolate bars, toys and mugs.
You may remember a time when Easter eggs came with all sorts of goodies like full size chocolate bars, toys and mugs.
They also didnt cost as much - meaning Easter Sunday was filled with overindulgence and decadence.
But now prices are creeping up and even the chocolate shell is hopping on the Ozempic trend and getting thinner.
Analysis from the consumer group Which? found the price of popular eggs has increased by 50 per cent - and some have shrunk.
This is because draughts followed by heavy rain have damaged cocoa harvests in west Africa, which supplies Britain with 84 per cent of its cocoa.
Since March last year the price of chocolate has risen 17 per cent, compared with overall inflation of 3.1 per cent.
Thats why you may have found yourself picking up and putting down Easter eggs in the supermarket after seeing the price.
Widely considered the nations favourite Easter egg, a five pack of Cadbury Creme Eggs has increased in price from £2.62 last year to a whopping £4 at Morrisons, according to Which?.
According to the consumer group Which? the price of popular eggs has increased by 50 per cent - and some have shrunk
Who remembers when they came in half dozens? A five pack of Cadbury Creme Eggs has increased in price from £2.62 last year to a whopping £4 this year at Morrisons
Theyre not Terrys! An 80g pouch of Terrys chocolate orange mini eggs at Lidl cost 99p in the run up to last Easter but has gone up to £1.35 while shrinking to 70g
At Ocado, a 110g NOMO Creamy Choc Buttons share bag 110g has gone up from £2.43 to £3.97, a 63 per cent increase.
An 80g pouch of Terrys chocolate orange mini eggs at Lidl cost 99p in the run up to Easter in 2024 but has gone up to £1.35 while shrinking to 70g - meaning a price rise of 56 per cent per 100g.
The same product, which originally cost more at other supermarkets, has gone up by 51 per cent at Asda, 37 per cent at Sainsburys and 14 per cent at Tesco.
The Ivory Coast and Ghana produce 60 per cent of the world’s cocoa and twice a year each of these countries fixes their cocoa price for the coming harvest, in an effort to ensure farmers receive a stable income.
Recent weather changes in west Africa has made it harder to grow cocoa.
This, coupled with the price of cocoa falling by around 30 per cent, have caused cocoa imports to fall by 10 per cent and the price to increase by a third since 2022.
The years of cheap chocolate may be ending for good.