Caterer loves… Easter

There is no denying that these days, for many people, Easter Sunday has become more about the chance to gorge themselves on a weekend-long choc-fest than to observe a religious holiday. But we do love chocolate, and Easter is clearly the best time to indulge. Chocolate eggs of all sizes - as well as novelty chocolate bunnies, coins, hearts and even the occasional chocolate fish - have become the order of the day.

Whether it's milk, plain or white, 70% cocoa, praline-filled, Cadbury's or even the dreaded coffee- or orange-filled varieties, there is something for everyone out there.

And this year we've come across some that really push the boat out - into the Oompa-loompas' fictional chocolate river.

Let's leave behind the supermarket offerings with their cheesy packaging and BOGOF deals, we want the metre-tall Easter egg currently residing at London's Jumeirah Carlton Tower. Lovingly crafted by four chefs over 100 hours, this prime specimen needed 50kg of chocolate and £1,000-worth of gold leaf before it was finished. However, head pasty chef Steven James and his team are now unsure what to do with the resulting confectionery, as health and safety officials have cruelly prevented them from donating it to charity. Well, we have a few suggestions!

Sadly, instead of them sending it to Caterer's editorial team, it's on display throughout Easter in the hotel's Chinoiserie restaurant.

We might instead settle for the self-proclaimed "world's most expensive egg" from La Maison du Chocolat in London's Piccadilly. The egg is a massive version of the shop's standard Stellar Egg, except that this one has £50,000-worth of diamonds in the stars and is set to melt any woman's heart on Easter morning.

For those of us who can't afford to reach for the stars, though, Theobroma Cacao in Chiswick, west London, is hand-painting eggs for £25, and in Islington, north London, new chocolatier Paul Young is making eggs to order that are "bigger than a rugby ball" for £70.

Still, no matter how good these fine speciality eggs are, we defy anyone to not succumb to at least one Cadbury's Creme Egg a year. The burning question, of course, is: "How do you eat yours?"

This one is still pondered by schoolchildren and adults alike. Are you a nibbler - who nibbles the top off and slowly nibbles down the sides? A slurper - who pours the insides on to their tongue and then eats the chocolate separately? A muncher - who downs the lot in two bites and then reaches for another? Or are you a dipper - who seductively delves your tongue down into the sweet yellow and white gloop that lies within?

Whatever you choose, we hope you'll have room for one more wafer-thin mint…