In our youth, many of us keenly anticipated the end of Lent to savour our Easter chocolates. As grownups, our desire to relish in the sweetness of chocolate during Easter is unquelled. The exciting news is that Irish chocolate creators are taking creativity to new heights. We’ve gathered a selection of the finest, from indulgent eggs to gluten-free treats and charming miniature hens.
When the Neary family established NearyNógs in 2011, they became the first bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturers in Northern Ireland. Since then, they have received various awards for their chocolate, made with ethically sourced and traceable cacao. The beans are minimally processed in their solar-powered factory located in Co Down, offering interactive tours and tastings. This year’s floral Easter egg is crafted from 60 per cent Ecuador Hacienda Limon chocolate, with packaging inspired by the cacao pod itself and is recyclable. Looking for something smaller? The irresistible mini bunnies filled with vegan sea salt caramel are worth a try.
Gráinne Mullins, a chef from Galway, began her luxury chocolate venture from a tiny shed amidst the pandemic. A notable figure on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list last year, she pours her relentless passion and meticulousness into her work, particularly her handcrafted Easter eggs. This time around, Grá Easter eggs can be sent to family and friends in America for the first time.
If you seek to create a lasting impression, the annual Easter egg by Paula Stakelum is the obvious choice. Stakelum is the executive director of Red Carnation Hotels own chocolate and patisserie, inheriting Ashford Castle. Decorated with a replica of brass shutter knobs from the castle, the 2024 egg, encased in an elegant dark green box, uses the estate’s exclusive Valhrona Legend 55 per cent chocolate. Beware, these eggs are available exclusively from Mrs Tea’s Boutique located on the Ashford Castle premises.
Bon Chocolatiers.
The distinctive Easter creations from Bon Chocolatiers, under the guidance of Georgia Quealy and Daniel Linehan, have made quite an impression. The luxurious, hand-decorated, large Easter eggs along with their uniquely filled mini eggs- with the Nuts About Caramel mini egg, an award-winning specialty using select peanut butter from Nutshed, quickly sold out at our house within the last year. This year’s new attractions are mini bite-sized eggs in two enjoyable flavours: Nutty Whip and Golden Crunch. Keep an eye out for their exclusive Easter egg for Fallon & Byrne in Dublin, and their offerings for the Dunnes Stores Simply Better collation. Visit bonchocolatiers.ie.
Alterntatively, Cocoa Atelier, which no longer provides direct service to consumers, yet continues to offer its luxurious variety through specific retailers. The operation is led by Maria Maher from Cork, who governs production for both the Irish wholesale and the retail markets. Easter 2024 celebrates chocolates from Colombia, Peru and Madagascar, supplied by respected sources: Chocolaterie de l’Opera and Luker Chocolate. Included with each chocolate egg are tasting guidelines, a hot chocolate concoction, and a selection of fine sweets. You can purchase Cocoa Atelier products at Avoca outlets, at Fallon & Byrne in Dublin and Cafe Rua in Castlebar. Visit cocoaatelier.ie.
The commitment of Hazel Mountain Chocolate, a small, bean-to-bar chocolate producer located in the Burren, to foster direct relationships with cocoa bean farmers, is commendable. Visitors are welcome to experience the chocolate-making procedure at their appealing, open-plan factory, topped with a Scandinavian-themed grassy roof. This year’s collection features some amusing new items including candy carrots filled with crunchy hazelnut caramel, a chick encasing peach Prosecco ganache and two endearing chickens, titled Henrik and Henrietta. They have also made available vegan Easter options. For more details visit hazelmountainchocolate.com.
Clo Chocolates.
Clothilde Rambaud, a Frenchwoman, and her spouse Tomasz have established themselves in Sligo, where they run the Le Fournil Bakery. Rambaud, leveraging her vast background, including time spent at Paris’s Michelin two-star establishment La Table de Joel Robuchon, crafts mouth-watering chocolates that are reasonably priced. She’s been bestowed with several honours over time, including the Blas na hÉireann’s Best in Sligo award in 2021. Her Easter collection, which is reasonably priced, features an adorable sheep, a bunny filled with her signature caramel and home-made marshmallow, and a variety of traditional Easter eggs.
In 2020, after serving as the chief chocolatier at Cocoa Atelier and a pastry chef at Adare Manor, Anna Coffey Lynch created Braw when she lost her job due to the pandemic. She founded an entire business based on her fantastic brownies, making baked goods, handmade chocolates, and her signature caramel sauce. She opts for Luker chocolate and all the packaging is either biodegradable or recyclable. Easter includes Bren the Bear with a Biscoff rocky road core and The Golden Rabbit filled with a white chocolate and hazelnut filling.
Bean and Goose are run by sisters Karen and Natalie Keane, who produce a variety of premium ethical chocolate products from their Gorey base. The much-loved Bean and Goose chocolate bar subscription service allows dedicated customers to taste new flavours, while the large chocolate slabs, designed to be broken and shared, make excellent gifts. Their hare and goose figures, a homage to Irish wildlife, are coming back for Easter this year, available in both milk and dark chocolate.
The Temptation company is managed by twins Kate and Ruth O’Hara. These self-taught chocolatiers specialise in creating highly tempting hand-painted three-layer Easter eggs with a variety of flavours. These include sea salt caramel, hazelnut and almond praline, banoffee, and dark chocolate salted pistachio, all filled with hand-rolled truffles. Chocolate enthusiasts can visit their Abbeyleix patisserie on weekends for exclusive goodies and try one of their 14 hot chocolate varieties.
Tara Gartlan, once a pastry chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant, suffers from coeliac disease. Consequently, her whole collection of handmade chocolates and baked products is entirely gluten-free and equally sumptuous. Tara relocated from Dublin to her native Carrickmacross where she crafts all her products manually. This year, she will be offering two oversized deluxe eggs and initiating nationwide delivery for the first time ever. Shoppers have the option to pick from milk chocolate hazelnut rocher or dark chocolate passion fruit caramel eggs, each paired with corresponding truffles. Visit taragartlan.com for more.