Ben Bentley takes samples of Easter eggs to the people of Shropshire and tries to find out whether cost really does equal value.

The Shropshire Star Easter egg challenge gets underway at Telford Shopping Centre. Leah Roberts tucks in.

Easter wouldn’t be Easter without chocolate eggs and at shops around Shropshire the great egg hunt is in full swing.

But at a time when people are tightening their belts, the question is this – is the most expensive chocolate egg the best?

John Dawes

Our blind taste challenge put the idea to the test by asking shoppers to sample a range of Easter eggs and tell us not only which was their favourite but also which they thought would be the most expensive.

Our sample range included Britain’s best-selling egg – the Cadbury’s Dairy Milk egg, a Thornton’s Toffee Egg, a Kit Kat Chunky egg and an Aldi own-brand egg by Dairy Fine.

We stripped them of their finery so the only way to differentiate them was their taste . . . and shoppers at Telford Centre weren’t shy about tucking in and speaking their mind.

Sue McNeilly

Visiting Telford from Hartlepool, John Dawes tucked into the Aldi egg and couldn’t find much difference in taste between this and the Dairy Milk, both of which hit the spot.

He thought the Kit Kat egg would be the cheaper egg, but concluded the Thornton’s egg was his favourite. He said: “It’s nice, it’s crunchy. That’s the most expensive. The Aldi egg is quite nice too.”

He believed the Dairy Milk would be the cheapest.

Next up was Sue McNeilly, 50, from Machynlleth, who said initially of the Aldi egg: “It’s alright-ish.”

Jean Willetts

But sampling it again she changed her mind, and said: “I like it the best.”

She identified the Dairy Milk as Cadbury’s immediately and gave it her approval, but the Kit Kat Chunky didn’t go down quite as well.

Sue believed the Dairy Milk would be the most expensive egg and that the Thornton’s would be cheapest.

Tucking into the Aldi egg, Jean Willetts, 60, from Wellington, said: “That’s nice and soft, I would buy it.”

She also liked the Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, but named the Kit Kat Chunky her favourite.

Grant Postans

And of the Thornton’s Toffee she said: “I think that’s the worst one, with crunchy bits.”

She guessed the Dairy Milk would be the most expensive and the Thornton’s the cheapest.

Grant Postans, from Cockshutt, said his favourite egg was the Aldi Dairy Fine brand.

“It’s very smooth milk chocolate, not too sharp,” he concluded.

Grant liked the Kit Kat egg, but described the Thornton’s egg as “very sweet”, although he guessed it would be the most expensive.

Kris Hampton

Kris Hampton, 18, from Shifnal, said of the Thornton’s Toffee: “I don’t like it. It’s OK chocolate, but the toffee does something to it.

“Number one (Aldi egg) is the most expensive, and it’s the nicest. Number four (Thornton’s Toffee) is the cheapest.”

The mixed results of our straw poll showed that chocolate is all about personal taste.

How our mystery eggs sized up

1. Aldi – Dairy Fine Design Your Own Egg (200g) – £2.99.

Shropshire Star taste test rating: 9/10.

2. Cadbury’s Dairy Milk (Buttons inside) 190g – £2 from Asda.

Shropshire Star taste test rating: 6/10.

3. Kit Kat Chunky egg (235g) – was £1.99, now 98p from Morrisons.

Shropshire Star taste test rating 5/10.

4. Thornton’s Toffee Egg (610g) – £12.

Shropshire Star taste test rating: 4/10.