Easter Sunday is only a couple of weeks away, meaning it is almost that time when you can stuff yourself silly with all the chocolate without feeling guilty.
If, like me, you associate Easter with running around the garden in the morning looking for chocolate goodness in your back garden, then you are in for a real treat.
But, long gone are the days when you used to get a simple Cadbury or Nestle branded egg that came with one or two extra pieces of chocolate.
These days, like so many things, it's all about being bigger, fancier and better, as so many retailers and brands are launching premium designed chocolate eggs for the holiday.
Even the supermarkets are in on it, with the likes of Lidl and Aldi launching their own 'premium' or 'deluxe' Chocolate eggs to rival some of the biggest brands from our childhood.
Which is exactly why I decided to put one supermarket's own-branded Easter egg up to the ultimate test, just to see if it was offering something better than the likes of Nestle and Cadbury.
I decided to head to my local Lidl to pick up one of their 'Deluxe' Easter eggs, just to see if it lived up to the hype and would be worth purchasing in place of some well-known Easter chocolate brands.
With that in mind, I also picked chocolate eggs from three other popular brands - Nestle, Cadbury and Guylian - and this is how I got on...
What chocolate eggs were sampled?
Since everyone these days loves both Lidl and luxurious chocolate eggs for less, I decided to pick up a chocolate egg from the supermarkets 'Deluxe' range.
Since I was comparing it to childhood favourite brands Nestle and Cadbury's, I decided to pick up two classic choices that you can never go wrong with - Aero and Mini Eggs (my usual go-to, if I'm honest.)
And, as Lidl is becoming more and more well known for their 'dupes' of other high-end brands, I also decided to compare it against another premium brand - Guylian.
These were the chocolate eggs I managed to score.
- Lidl Deluxe Salted Caramel Egg - £3.99
- Guylian Luxury Milk Chocolate Egg - £4.99
- Cadbury's Mini Eggs - 99p
- Nestle Aero Chocolate Bubbles - 99p
Lidl
Deluxe Salted Caramel Egg, 200g
What's inside: One Belgian milk chocolate egg
Verdict: Starting off with the reason for this Easter taste test, I decided to try out Lidl's Deluxe offering first to set the standard for the rest of my snacking.
First things first, in terms of appearance, this is arguably the swankiest looking chocolate egg of the bunch and, if I didn't know it was Lidl, I would think that it was from another high-end brand.
I'll admit, right at the beginning, I was a bit bummed that there was only one egg and no other extra chocolate goodies hidden in the box. But, my initial disappointment was initially washed away after I took just one bite of this fancy chocolate egg.
The Belgian milk chocolate was quite thick and had a bit of a bite to it, meaning you got a decent mouthful of chocolate. Add in the sweetness of the caramel pearls and crunchy pieces, and you have a decent tasting chocolate egg for Easter.
Honestly, for the price you couldn't go wrong and I was blown away by the sheer quality - especially as it only cost £3.99.
Guylian
Luxury milk chocolate egg, 160g
What's inside: Milk chocolate egg and 11 Belgian chocolate sea shells.
Verdict: I'll be completely honest and admit that this was the one that shocked me the most. Not because of its taste, but mostly for it being insanely good value for money.
The Belgian chocolate brand's chocolate eggs usually sell for around £8 alone, while their chocolate sea shells retail at about £5.50 - so, to get them both for just £4.99, I can safely say is brilliant.
However, on to the actual chocolate egg itself.
Guylian is one of those brands that has become synonymous with providing excellent quality Belgian chocolate, and, while this was certainly the case, I was still conflicted.
On the one hand, the chocolate egg was a decent size, albeit a little smaller than Lidl's glorious egg, and the chocolate was as rich and smooth as I remember. So, solid points there.
On the other hand, after tasting Lidl's diving Deluxe Easter egg, it just fell that bit short.
That being said, it's still a fantastic chocolate that melts in your mouth and will probably remain one of my firm favourite chocolate brands. Add on the excellent value for money and I can honestly say this was a close second so far.
Cadbury
Mini Eggs hollow milk chocolate egg, 130g
What's inside: One hollow milk chocolate egg and a packet of mini eggs
Verdict: Is it even Easter if you don't get yourself some Cadbury's chocolate and Mini Eggs? The answer, is of course, absolutely not.
Both have become somewhat iconic in their own rights over the years, with Mini Egg creations being everywhere at this time of year and I'm always here for it.
On to the good stuff, the actual chocolate egg, which I have to say was...just fine.
Look, I love Cadbury's, it was the chocolate I grew up with and I will always have a soft spot for it in my heart, but I don't remember the chocolate being quite too sweet.
Maybe it's just my taste buds as I have gotten older, but the chocolate lacked that smoothness that offsets the sweetness and it tasted very sugary.
The packet of Mini Eggs themselves were still as solidly good as I remember, so a bit of redemption there.
Nestle
Aero milk chocolate egg, 121g
What's inside: One milk chocolate egg filled with mini Aero bubbles
The verdict: Nestle is another one of those confectionary brands that everyone had when they were younger. From Easter eggs to cereal, you name it and you probably had it.
Like the Cadbury's, the chocolate egg is a little on the smaller side and looks like your standard milk chocolate egg that you got as a kid.
Unlike the Cadbury's one, though, I found that Nestle's chocolate egg broke apart better and was therefore a lot easier to enjoy.
As for the actual taste itself, well I'm still reminded why I love Nestle, because it was smooth and had a bit more of a distinctive flavour than Cadbury's.
That being said, I did notice that it was actually a little heavy for me to probably enjoy a full chocolate egg in one sitting. I'm not too sure I would have noticed that before.
To be fair, that could have been because I have eaten so much chocolate by this point....
Also, the added Aero bubbles inside the egg were a neat surprise.
Overall thoughts
This is where it gets a little complicated, because I have so many thoughts on just four Easter eggs after this taste test.
If I have to pick the one that tasted the best, then Lidl's Deluxe Salted Caramel Egg wipes the competition and deservedly takes the crown.
The Belgian chocolate was good quality, smooth and the added salted caramel pieces are the absolute star of the show. It makes me realise why everyone raves about the budget supermarket's own-branded products.
On the other hand, Guylian officially takes the crown for just being insanely good value for money, especially considering I would over a tenner for the same option in other supermarkets.
But, I do think that Lidl's delightful chocolate just beats it out on taste...just.
I know it may seem sad to hear that Cadbury's and Nestle haven't exactly lived up to my childhood expectations, but I will still always a soft spot for them. Also, the Mini Eggs still up to the hype, so that's always a plus for me.
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