Eggflation: Shrinking Easter treats still cost more than last year

You can have too much of a good thing

SOME popular Easter eggs from brands including Maltesers, Lindt and Cadbury cost at least 50 per cent more than a year ago, while others have shrunk in size, a study shows.

The overall price of chocolate has increased by 12.6 per cent in a year – significantly more than the 5.6 per cent rise seen on supermarket food and drink generally – after dry weather in West Africa led to a spike in global cocoa prices, according to the consumer group Which? and its supermarket food and drink inflation tracker.

A 286g Maltesers Truffles Luxury Easter egg increased from £8 to £13 at Waitrose in the month to the end of February compared with the same time a year ago – an increase of 62.5 per cent. At Asda, a 50g Lindt Gold Bunny Milk

A SHOP on a remote Scottish island has accidentally ordered hundreds more Easter eggs than its entire population.

Sinclair General Stores on the Orkney island of Sanday meant to order 80 eggs but bought 80 cases instead in error – that’s 720 Easter eggs to cover a population of about 500. Dan Dafydd, the shop owner, has decided to raffle off 100 of the eggs in aid of the Royal

National Lifeboat Institution which he said would help to ease his “embarrassment and shame”. He said his staff were left chuckling.

Chocolate five pack increased from an average £2 to £3.11 – up 55.6 per cent.

The price of a 250g Tesco Ferrero Rocher Golden Easter egg rose in price from £10 on average in the month to the end of February last year to £15 on average in the same period this year – an increase of 50 per cent. Which? also found that at Ocado, a 1kg Cadbury Mini Eggs Large Pouch cost £8.86 on average last February but £12.95 this year, up 46.2 per cent. At Sainsbury’s, a Kinder Easter with Surprise 36g rose in price from £1.50 on average to £2, or a 33.3 per cent increase. The Which? analysis did not include loyalty card prices or multibuys.

As well as price increases, it also found examples of “shrinkflation” with a Mars milk chocolate large Easter egg diminishing from 252g last year to 201g this February at Morrisons and Tesco.