Easter egg prices on the rise, customers turn to bulk chocolate

Geelong families are turning to bulk chocolate and discount supermarket chains this Easter. Watch the video to see how to save.

Chocolate prices are on the rise, and Geelong families are grappling with a potentially pricey Easter bills in an interesting way - by buying more, not less.

Cocoa prices have continued to rise due to a decline in global production and the effects are being felt in the chocolate aisle.

At Woolworths, a 250-270g Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Easter bunny cost $10 in 2023.

This year the same Easter bunny will cost you $12.

A spokeswoman for Cadbury said these increases could be put down to “record cocoa pricing” and “high input costs” for its “challenging chocolate production”.

“We’re working hard to absorb costs where possible while reimagining how we can bring joy at Easter time,” she said.

“We encourage Australians to shop around for the best value.”

And they are.

A NQR supermarket spokesman said more people were visiting the discount chain’s NOrth Geelong and Newcomb stores for cheaper Easter chocolate.

NQR product buyers source products close to their use-by dates or that suppliers need gone for other reasons, allowing them to sell a Cadbury Dairy Milk Bunny with a recommended retail price (RRP) of $8 at just $5.50.

A 175g Cadbury Old Gold Brandy, which has a RRP OF $7, costs just $2.

In Geelong, some residents are turning to smaller, local chocolate shops or supermarket alternatives to stay on-budget.

Rebecca and Asher Rodwell, visited the Great Ocean Road (GOR) Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery with their three children to buy bulk ahead of Easter.

Some unique chocolate Bilbies sold for $18.00 at Moorabool Valley Chocolate, Geelong.

“It’s better to buy in bulk than to just buy small pieces,” Mr Rodwell said.

“You can buy a kilo of the caramilk in there for $34.95, that’s phenomenal,” Ms Rodwell added.

“You can buy a block of chocolate in a supermarket for 350g for $9, or come here and support local business.”

Group production manager at GOR Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery founder Allan Grandjean said everyone in the chocolate industry was grappling with increasing cocoa price.

He said some companies were replacing coco butter with palm oil or similar seed oils to reduce costs, but as an artisan health-conscious company they were firmly against this trend.

“Our chocolate remains the same, we’ve still got high quality ingredients,” he said.

Chocolatiers Allan Grandjean with a Easter masterpiece at the Great Ocean Rd Chocolaterie. Picture: Nathan Dyer

“For us it was very important to keep our chocolate as accessible as possible.”

“Instead looking at our waste to reduce costs.”

Prices at Moorabool Valley Chocolate range from $8.50 for a Small Solid Bunny to $32.00 for a Large draped Easter egg.

A Freckleberry Chocolate Factory, prices start at $3.60 for a 40g Easter Single Freckle, and increase up to the 1.6kg Giant Chocolate Eggs smooth Belgian chocolate highlight, which comes with a $69.95 price tag.

Grovedale resident Fiona Landown said looking at the price of chocolate, her family was even considering switching to Carob this year - a healthy chocolate substitute that used to cost more, but was now a very similar price.

“We buy fancy little artisan chocolates every Friday night, and they are astronomically expensive but we can’t afford to give them up,” she said.

Originally published as Easter egg prices on the rise, customers turn to bulk chocolate