Easter can be a time of - excuse the pun - 'egg'-ceptional cost. Not only do we have the financial expense to contend with but also the cost to the environment of all that excess packaging. So well done to Marks and Spencer for coming up with the lovely spotty versions shown above. They are four and a quarter inches high which, to me, gives a better idea of size than saying they are eleven centimetres tall and they come just like this - no cardboard and no plastic to dispose of afterwards. You are just left with the aluminium foil to recycle. You could add it to your recycling bin but, when the colours are as lovely as this, it's just begging to be used for some craft project or other. If you are giving them to children you may have to strike a deal along the lines of you getting the foil - carefully removed and in one piece - and them getting the chocolate. I can't see anyone arguing with that, can you? Just remember to buy an extra one to enjoy in peace when they've gone to bed! Not only are these eggs beautiful but they are brilliantly priced at just 99p each. In addition, the Good Housekeeping Institute voted them top in their test of Easter eggs priced under a pound, rated on appearance, flavour,texture and packaging. Better still, they did a further test rating eggs for gift appeal, looking at those in the ten to twenty pound price bracket. Amazingly, in a blind taste test, this little M&S beauty beat three other milk chocolate eggs costing between fifteen and twenty pounds, one of which came from Harrods, no less! Once the word gets out I bet they'll be flying off the shelves so if you're within striking distance of an M&S food outlet tomorrow, it might be worth a visit. In the same vein of thrifty-chic, I have it on good authority that not only is M&S closed on Easter Sunday - as is the law - but on Easter Monday, too, which means three days worth of date-related food bargains at 4.00p.m. tomorrow. How much stuff there is will depend on how much the regular shoppers have bought up for Easter but if you recall my bargain turkey at Christmas you might just want to take a look!
