It's no yoke - Easter Eggs already on sale now.

[Larry]

I was in Waitrose the other day and I couldn't believe it when I turned down one isle to see Easter Bunny's and cadburys cream eggs on already on sale. Then I read this in the daily mail the next day.

January 1... and the Easter eggs are on sale



Early: Easter eggs are already on sale


Your head hurts from last night's celebrations, and you never want to see a Christmas turkey or a mince pie again.


But take heart - you can cheer yourself up with an Easter egg.

Yes, it may be only New Year's Day but already the chocolatey treats are appearing on supermarket shelves. Just the 14 weeks early.


Customers were astonished to see staff putting out 'Easter Treats' displays of chocolates and daffodils at a Tesco store only four days after Christmas.


The Cadbury's Creme Eggs, Easter chicks and chocolate bunnies went on display next to reduced-price Christmas crackers, decorations and wrapping paper at the supermarket in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.


One customer, Stephen Roland, 31, said: 'I couldn't believe it. Selling Easter eggs three or four days after Christmas is ludicrous - particularly when Easter is in April.'

Shopper Ellen Turner, 53, said: 'They don't let one season finish before they press another on you.'


A Tesco spokesman said that stores all over Britain would be putting up their Easter displays in the coming weeks. Many shoppers have been left bewildered in recent years as the holiday periods seem to get earlier and earlier and blend into each other.


In 2007, one local council put up the country's first Christmas lights in October, before the first Halloween celebrations had taken place.

It is not the first time that Easter has caused embarrassment for a major supermarket.
Last year Tesco and other supermarkets were accused of using Easter eggs to launch a price war.


Tesco sold eggs at a buy-one-get-one-free price of ?1.49 - just 74p per egg - leading to concerns that the supermarket was selling them at a loss to pull in shoppers.

[Si Hunt]

They can do what they like - they can't force people to buy them, and this will just annoy people. Last year Easter was early and the shops were left with loads of unsold Easter stuff. Folk arn't going to buy it after Easter just because it's available, and they arn't going to buy it before either. So let these stupid shops clog up their shelves with stuff that isn't going to sell, if they choose to.

Besides which, most Easter Egg chocolate is nasty. A year or two ago we made some cakes not long after Easter, and forgot to buy cooking chocolate; so we tried melting down some uneaten Easter Eggs instead. But the chocolate must just have been pure sugar or some other crap, as it just congealed into this horrid plastic-like mess. There can't have been any proper chocolate in there at all!

Si.

[WhiteCrow]

Are they one sale right next to the diet books and exercise DVDs?

[Captain Tancredi]

If you have more than a couple of people to buy for and only so much spare cash left over, it can be quite helpful to be able to start buying a month or two in advance. I have to say that starting my Christmas shopping around September-October this year did make things a lot less stressful in December.

[Lissa]

Mmm - my sidekick and I did a rigorous study of chocolate eggs last year. We had a spreadsheet and everything. Easter being later this year means we'll have even long to be scientific and things. I vote for a series of chocolate-to-filling comparison pie charts. Lily O'Brien was the surprise winner last year. She make good eggs.

[Paul Monk]

Once upon a time I would have been irritated by such things. Now I just can't be bothered. Who cares if you can buy Easter eggs now? As Si says let the shops stock them. You don't have to by them.

Besides its means Cadburys Mini Eggs are in the shops earlier which can only be a good thing.

[MinaHarker]

I think Cadburys Creme Eggs should be on sale all year round.

And be the size of Easter eggs.

[WhiteCrow]

I only really like Cadbury chocolate - I just looked it up - they sell it in New Zealand. Which is kind of unfortunate - I was planning to give it up for the rest of my life!

It's guaranteed someone will buy me a Nestle egg for Easter. Bastards!!!

[Captain Tancredi]

I only really like Cadbury chocolate - I just looked it up - they sell it in New Zealand. Which is kind of unfortunate - I was planning to give it up for the rest of my life!

Chocolate fush! You'll love it!

[SiHart]

Their Crunchies are about twice the size of ours! And the Moro Gold is wonderful. In fact I might ask you nicely to send us some back.

Si xx

[Captain Tancredi]

Alternatively, Si, there's a shop for expat Kiwis, Aussies and Sith Efrikkans in one of the back streets near Covent Garden that can usually be relied upon to have a few bits and pieces in stock...

[SiHart]

Ahhh, I didn't know about that. I'll have to see if I can find it sometime. Thanks Ian

Si xx

[Llordllama]

It's not just the eggs - Tescos in Luffbruff have hotcross buns (priced at slightly more than 1 a penny 2 a penny) on sale in a featured display area since 31st Dec.

Everylittle Halloweeniechristmaseastertide celebration helps

[Jamie McCrimmon]

It's all part of the empty void of twenty first century life.

[Captain Tancredi]

I suppose that if you've got a void to fill, there are worse things than Easter eggs to fill it with.

Me? I've just opened a kitchen cupboard to find another Christmas pudding staring me in the face. I don't fancy it, either- it's got chocolate sauce on so probably won't go with my Cointreau butter.

[Dirk Gently]

With chocolate sauce! That actually sounds rather nice, Ian.

[Paul Monk]

priced at slightly more than 1 a penny 2 a penny

I always thought that was an odd pricing structure.

[Thasc]

A Christmas Pud with choccie sauce mmmmm you can throw it in my direction Captain T

[Ralph]

It's the brandy thats the best bit about xmas pud - the more lashings the better!

[Thasc]

I agree with you there Ralph