Cheese Easter eggs exist and they are delicious - but should you swap out your favourite chocolate creation?
It's a question that's given me pause for thought, ever since I learned Morrisons has released not one but two cheesy eggs this year.
As a chocoholic and a cheese lover, I won't be the only person who has been left with a dilemma in the coming days.
So I treated myself to an early festive snack, keen to see if the spin on the seasonal classic could rise to the top of foodies' wish lists.
Unfortunately, the answer is not 'cheesy-peasy'. As I quickly discovered, the delicious invention is a treat for the taste buds, but it also leaves a lot to be desired.
Shape
I'm sorry to report the Easter egg isn't a full-sized egg; rather, it is more like half an egg.
Whether you opt for Lancashire and Cheddar or Stratford Blue, both of which will set you back £5 a pop (or £4 for My Morrisons customers), you'll end up with half an egg.
Given you get a block of soft cheese, and most chocolate eggs are hollow, this isn't necessarily a dealbreaker.
But it did take the edge off my excitement, when I visited Morrisons after first admiring the eggs online.
It's not the best value for money either, since you end up with 120g of the good stuff. Granted, this isn't your bog-standard cheddar, so if you're simply looking for sandwich-filler it will prove quite expensive.
But then again, I don't think anyone expects that from this product.
Like its chocolate predecessor, this is a novelty egg, and if you do opt for a cheese egg, you're in for a treat.
Taste
Sourced from Butlers' farmhouse cheeses, you're getting the produce of award-winning cheesemakers wrapped up in the shape of a sweet, little (half) egg, and boy oh boy does it taste good.
Once I'd figured out how to remove the soft cheese from the mound while keeping the shape intact - the instructions say to gently squeeze around the mould but I found it helpful to use a small knife - it was well worth the effort.
Soft and creamy just as promised, the cheese is packed full of flavour.
I'd happily serve the egg to guests or keep it all for myself to enjoy over a couple of days, as there's enough for a few servings.
So I'm really glad I tried this in favour of my normal chocolate go-to, even if I've been left with mixed feelings.
Price
It's a fun product, undoubtedly, and it tastes great, but it is quite expensive, which makes me think chocolate will continue to reign supreme.
On the one hand, I don't think anyone's buying chocolate eggs because they are great value for money. You can normally get more for less if you buy a bar.
But you do tend to get more for your money with chocolate. For instance, Morrisons sells a 97g Cadbury Mini Eggs Chocolate Easter Eggs with mini eggs inside for £1.50, giving you more bang for your buck than the cheese egg offers. Meanwhile, £5 will score you a 232g Cadbury Mini Eggs Large Chocolate Easter Egg, with one egg and two bags of chocolates.
As a result, I think it would have been nice if the cheese egg included an extra, like crackers, for the price, but perhaps I've been spoilt by the range of chocolate eggs we're all used to seeing.
Cheese does tend to be more expensive to make, so perhaps it is not a fair comparison; it's also no surprise that if you want nice cheese then you've got to be willing to pay for it.
The verdict
If you're looking for a cheesy treat this Easter, then you're not going to regret buying this egg.
It's not cheap but I do think it is a fair price given the quality of the cheese and the novelty shape. Where the product does fall down, however, is when it is compared to the other Easter treats on the market.
Knowing what I do now, if I was making a choice between a cheese egg or the chocolate variety, I'd pick chocolate as I can get more for my money. But it is plenty of fun for cheese lovers; you just need to manage your expectations, or you might end up feeling cheesed off.
Would you try a cheese egg? Let us know in the comments below
