ONE IRISH chocolate lover will be in confectionery heaven this Easter, and possibly in trouble with their bank, after €775 was spent on a single luxury Easter egg.
The limited edition egg, made by the Parisian chocolate house La Maison du Chocolat, stands 80cm tall and comes complete with 1kg of gold leaves garnishing its exterior.
The egg, which has been on show in the Harvey Nichols food market in Dundrum Town Centre, Co Dublin, is described as being a premium quality hand-crafted artwork with a precise and detailed design to obtain the best balance of chocolate flavours possible.
The 6.5kg creation, which is branded as the ultimate treat for chocolate enthusiasts, is one of five eggs of its kind available for purchase this Easter in Ireland and Britain.
The others were on sale in Harvey Nichols stores in Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham for £550.
Joseph Moran, of Harvey Nichols at Dundrum Town Centre, said that the extravagant egg had been creating quite a stir among customers visiting the food market in recent weeks. "It is 80cm tall, made of solid chocolate and covered in gold, so it does stand out. It has had no shortage of admirers in the past few days."
Mr Moran said he understood that the €775 egg had been purchased by a website owner who intended to raffle it to raise money for a charity.
The store said that to ensure the luxury product was delivered to its buyer in peak condition a member of staff would be accompanying it from the store and would be on hand to help install it in the buyer's home.
Mr Moran added that the next most expensive egg available in the store cost "about €25".
The first chocolate Easter eggs were made in Europe in the early 19th century.
Irish consumers are expected to account for almost 6.5 million of them this year.
In 2006, the world's most expensive Easter egg was created by La Maison du Chocolat in London. The Diamond Stella Egg was 60cm tall and was covered with 100 half-carat diamonds. Its price tag was $100,000.
