We teamed up with our friends at Brampton’s The Food Marketing Agency to put a clutch of this year's eggs (and a few extra sweet treats) to the test. If it’s your job to play Easter Bunny, read on. . .

Bettys Milk Chocolate Spring Flowers Easter Egg, 350g, £38.50, bettys.co.uk

On the outside: Presented in an elegant duck-egg, cream and gold box, this egg looks seriously special. There’s a picture window in the front, showcasing the shell’s exquisite decoration: bluebells, daisies, daffodils, violas and violets, all deftly hand-piped in royal icing. It’s a work of edible art.

On the inside: Founded in 1919 by a Swiss chocolatier - one Fritz Bützer, who came to Britain to make his fortune from confectionery despite not knowing a word of English - Bettys is as famous for its chocolate as its north-England tearooms. This Easter egg is a calling-card example: once you steel yourself to smash its embellished shell, you’re rewarded with a feast of finest Swiss Grand Cru milk chocolate which is indulgently creamy yet still packs a cocoa punch. No, it’s not cheap. But, if you’ve got any grown-ups on your Easter Bunny list, it’s worth every penny.

Score: 5/5

Harry Specters The Rainbow Egg, 180g, £14, harryschocs.co.uk

On the outside: This Ely-based social enterprise, founded to create both amazing chocolate and employment opportunities for young people with autism, is famous for its presentation. The pink and orange cardboard box is eye-catching yet elegant, and the egg itself, spied through the central window, is artfully decorated with sprays of coloured cocoa butter. It’s lovely.

On the inside: Though they always look beautiful, Harry Specters chocolates are far more than a pretty face. This is white chocolate at its best: sweet, creamy, vanilla-y and moreish as hell. You get a lot of choc for your money, too; unlike so many Easter eggshells, which are disappointingly flimsy, this one is nice and chunky. Plus, by buying and eating it, you’re supporting an excellent cause - what could be tastier?

Score: 5/5

Milk Chocolate Praline Mini Eggs Luxury Gift Box, 370g, £17.50, farhi.co.uk

On the outside: Showcased in a smart window-lidded box, finished with a flourish of yellow grosgrain ribbon, is a rainbow of 48 foil-wrapped mini eggs. They look absolutely beautiful - and singularly inviting.

On the inside: Rita Farhi has been making fine confectionery for the better part of two decades, initially developing a fan base for chocolate-coated fruits and nuts and now known for a vast range of fruit and nut-based treats, from nougats and brittles to pralines - like these little Easter eggs. An assortment of pralines, all in milk chocolate, they contain the perfect balance of rich chocolate and warm nut flavours and are melt-in-the-mouth creamy too.Though the box is ideal for sharing, you won’t want to. They’re downright delicious.

Score: 5/5

Earl Grey Creme Tea Infused Chocolate Egg, 280g, £19.95, birdandblendtea.com

On the outside: The packaging is bright and breezy: featuring a funky bespectacled chicken and impressive eco messaging - from first glance, you know the egg is 100% vegan and the packaging 100% recyclable - it’s printed in eye-grabbing primary colours. A cut-away in the centre gives a sneak peek of the egg, wrapped in blue foil.

On the inside: Known for producing truly top-notch tea while being kind to both people and planet - already carbon-neutral, the operation is en route to net-zero and B-Corp certification - Bird & Blend has collaborated with sustainable, single-origin chocolate company Only Coco to produce this egg. Made from oat milk chocolate infused with Bird & Blend’s cult-status Earl Grey Creme Tea, the shell is satisfyingly chunky and pleasingly sweet; the tea contains vanilla, which really comes through. The egg cracks open to reveal a trio of matching tea bags too - cute!

Score: 5/5

Blondies Kitchen Movie Night Nuggets, 24 cookies and two dip pots, £25.99, blondieskitchen.co.uk

On the outside: Packed with care for posting, the beribboned box opens to reveal 24 ‘nuggets’, chunky little cookies designed for dipping, and a corresponding pair of chocolate sauce pots. As you lift the lid, a scrumptious, seriously chocolatey smell wafts out. This might not be a traditional Easter treat, but it’s an inspired gift for tweens or teens who’ve grown too cool for childish bunnies and eggs.

On the inside: Blondies Kitchen - the Covent Garden cookie company founded by a pair of fellow blonde foodies and professionally trained chefs, Kristelle and Chelsie - is known for its perfect American-style cookies: crispy on the edge, chewy in the middle, loaded with flavour. Coming in two iterations, double choc and white choc, the nuggets tick all those boxes; while the milk and white hazelnut dipping sauces might prove too sweet for some, dedicated chocolate fans will be in heaven.

Score: 4/5

NOMO Caramelised Biscuit Egg & Bar, 162g, £3, Sainsbury’s stores

On the outside: A godsend for anyone who has allergies/has a child with allergies, this egg’s free-from status is presented front and centre on its bright red box: like all NOMO chocolate, it’s certified vegan and dairy, egg, gluten and nut-free. Patterned with shards and bars of NOMO chocolate, the box looks luxe and there’s an enticing wink of foil-wrapped egg visible through the front window.

On the inside: Inspired by the brand’s top-selling milk and caramelised biscuit bar, this egg is new to the NOMO range for Easter 2023. The chocolate, silky smooth and richly creamy, is studded with sweet, crunchy biscuit and flavoured with warming spices; it’s so scrummy it could convert even the most entrenched vegan-chocolate sceptic. Little wonder NOMO is the UK’s number one vegan and free-from chocolate brand.

Score: 5/5

Tony's Chocolonely Egg-stra Special Chocolate Eggs Pouch, 255g, £5, ocado.com

On the outside: Filled with 20 individually wrapped miniature chocolate eggs - in seven different flavours, spanning milk, dark and white - the rainbow-striped (plastic-free, fully recyclable) pouch is bold, bright and calls out to be opened.

On the inside: As you’d expect from Tony’s Chocolonely - the brand founded by Dutch investigative journalist Teun (Tony) van de Keuken who, on uncovering slavery within some chocolate supply chains, launched his own brand to showcase ethical production methods - the quality of the chocolate is impressive. Standout flavours include: milk caramel sea salt, milk almond honey nougat, dark milk and extra dark - perfection for a dark chocolate fan.

Score: 4/5

Pump Street Milk Chocolate Chicken & Eggs Box, 68g, £9.95, and Hot Cross Bun Chocolate Bar, 70g, £6.75, pumpstreetchocolate.com

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On the outside: The chicken and eggs set comes in a pretty pink presentation box - the decoration of watercolour-painted hens and blossom trees is lovely - but it was a bit hard to see what was inside due to the cellophane. The chocolate bar comes in classic packaging with strong branding and clear and concise ingredients info.

On the inside: First finding fame as a bakery, Suffolk’s Pump Street is now equally acclaimed for its bean-to-bar craft chocolate, all made using cocoa imported directly from single estates and cooperatives. No surprise, then, that the perfectly formed chicken and its nest of four foil-wrapped eggs are all made from high-quality, super-smooth milk chocolate. And the hot cross bun bar is incredible: dark, velvety chocolate with tons of toasted hot cross bun and cinnamon flavours, it’s perfect to enjoy with a coffee and a moment of calm contemplation!

Score: 4/5 for the chicken and eggs, 5/5 for the hot cross bun chocolate

Barbury Hill Easter Sweet Treats hamper, £32 + £3.75 delivery, barburyhill.com

On the outside: A real treat to receive and unwrap, the hamper is beautifully packaged in a box tied with Barbury Hill’s signature green bow, which opens up to showcase the yummy treats inside. The brand is known for sourcing and showcasing solely British-produced goods.

On the inside: The box contains a delicious selection of Easter-themed sweet treats, including some little chocolate chicks, decadent caramel shortbread, and the most amazing mini egg and creme egg brownies which are presented in their own box. Something for all the family to enjoy, this selection of goodies is sure to bring a smile this Easter! It would make the perfect gift for any chocoholic you know - and a great alternative to the traditional chocolate egg.

Score: 5/5

Divine Smooth Dark Chocolate Egg with Raspberry, 90g, £5, Waitrose and Tesco stores

On the outside: This egg wears Divine’s impressive ethical credentials on its sleeve - literally. The attractive box, with its bright pink raspberry print, makes clear reference to plastic-free packaging on the front and anyone looking at this product would be in no doubt as to the brand’s commitment to Fairtrade and supporting cocoa bean farmers. The box also displays the brand’s vegan-approved accreditation and cites no palm oil or soya.

On the inside: Upon opening the box, the hollow egg is presented in gold foil. Quite thick with a quality feel to it, the egg is made from 70% cocoa smooth dark chocolate flavoured with freeze dried raspberry granules and natural raspberry flavour. The chocolate has a good snap to it and the raspberry flavour is subtle and not overpowering. A little disappointing not to find any raspberry chocolates or raspberry-themed confectionery inside the shell, it’s quite a lot of money to spend on a small hollow egg - although, of course, there is a sense of altruism associated with every purchase.

Score: 2.5/5