Easter is early in April this year, meaning it's fast approaching and therefore time to stock up on all that chocolate you've been eyeing up in your local supermarket.
But if you're buying for loved ones and you want to branch out from the old Caramello egg standby, there are a lot of unique and exciting Easter options this year.
Here are all the perfect treats to get for a special person in your life, whether they have a mega sweet tooth or they're watching their sugar intake.
For the kids: Whittaker's chocolate kiwi
If you're a chocolate loving New Zealander you pretty much are obligated to like Whittaker's - it's one of the more beloved companies around Aotearoa (depending on where you fall in the whole Whittaker's versus Cadbury debate). One of these Whittaker's chocolate kiwis is the perfect treat to leave on the end of the kids' beds this coming Easter weekend. Not only are they super cute, they're a reminder of how precious our local wildlife is to protect for future generations. Luckily, 20c from every chocolate kiwi bought going straight to Kiwis for Kiwi and their kiwi breeding programme.
For the adults: Hot cross bun cocktail kit
Easter is usually fun for the kids, but it's time to share the fun equally this year, by sipping your treat in alcoholic form. Luckily you don't have to be a Stanley Tucci-level cocktail counisser to whip up this Easter-themed cocktail from local delivery kit Black Pineapple: their Hot Cross Bunny cocktail. The pre-prepped mix includes gin, sherry lemon, chocolate, spices... all tied together with a dark chocolate bunny. The most basic set includes four cocktails, instructions and a garnish, but there are more extravagant sets including cocktail-making equipment.. Send the kids off on an excessively long Easter egg hunt and enjoy.
For the vegans: Decadent deliverable chocolate brownie
For a long time the various holidays meant those who avoid animal products had to miss out on a lot of the festive treats, and just stick to blocks of boring dark chocolate instead. Thankfully we now live in a golden age. Willow Cake Bar is a local small business based in Auckland, whipping up delicious vegan brownies that can be sent all around the country, and the team have created a special Easter edition, made with 70 percent melted couverture chocolate and stuffed with an entire chocolate bar. Get a whole one for yourself, we won't judge you. Enjoy with a glass of cold mylk.
For the sugar-avoider: Sweetly scented candle
Look we get it - if you don't have much of a sweet tooth, or you're avoiding sugar health reasons, the stacks of Easter eggs, hot cross bun recipes and chocolate treats must get a little boring - or even tortuous. Luckily you can still enjoy revelling in a little sweet without consuming a recommended week's worth of sugar in one sitting. My top pick is a delicious scented candle, like the Glasshouse Tahaa Affair. It's a vanilla and caramel scented one that will make your house smell like fresh cookies. You're welcome.
