Marks & Spencer (M&S) has teamed up once again with its Irish chocolate partner, Lir Chocolates, to bring a delicious Easter 2026 collection to shelves across Ireland and the UK. Drawing on expert craftsmanship and a shared passion for chocolate innovation, the range offers shoppers a variety of Easter treats – from playful, Egg‑stra Gooey Eggs, to luxury filled‑shell and hand‑finished Collection eggs.
Behind the doors of Lir Chocolates’ Meath facility, a team of up to 250 specialists has been busy transforming M&S’s seasonal visions into popular Easter favourites. After over 18 months of preparation, Lir ensures the M&S Easter eggs keep surprising and delighting customers each year, moving from initial concept inspiration to best‑selling shelf hits.
Founded in 1987 in a Dublin kitchen by Connie Doody and Mary White, Lir’s DNA remains rooted in quality and perseverance. Today, that heritage is applied to high‑tech processes such as layering liquid caramels and custard‑flavoured fillings within delicate shells – a feat that requires intense teamwork across new product development and mould experts to ensure every product is stable and workable, reflecting Lir’s original spirit of craftsmanship.
Mary O’Rourke, Director of New Product Development at Lir, says: “We are so incredibly proud of our longstanding partnership with M&S and the real sense of pride our team feels when we see these products on the shelves. The complexity of our chocolate layering is something not easily replicated. We carefully balance nostalgia with premium quality, using rigorous taste panels to ensure that when a product resonates with customers, it’s because they recognise the genuine magic behind it.”
One of the highlights of this year’s collection is the return of the Outrageously Chocolatey Custard Cream Biscuity Egg. What began as a cross‑category idea inspired by M&S’s popular Outrageously Chocolatey Custard Cream biscuit required the Lir team to solve the engineering challenge of turning a flat, rectangular biscuit into a larger, 3D hollow structure. A bespoke mould mirrors every distinctive detail of the Custard Cream biscuit, and encased within the egg is a delicate, crunchy biscuit shell filled with a velvety smooth custard‑flavoured truffle layer for an unmistakable flavour in every bite.
Zoe Kaill, Innovation Manager at Lir Chocolates, added: “We are delighted to continue our collaboration with M&S on such an exciting and innovative Easter range. Together, we’ve created a showstopper product that combines the intrigue of a hollow Easter egg with the flavour of the viral Chocolatey Custard Cream biscuit.”
M&S’s viral custard cream Easter egg.
Michelle Allen, Buyer at M&S Ireland, commented: “From a production and partnership perspective, what really stands out with Lir is the craftsmanship and creativity of their products. They have the technical expertise and flexible, highly skilled team to bring our most ambitious chocolate ideas to life – from complex layering to handling high‑quality ingredients and packaging. This is special, and that’s why we choose to work with them, because Lir can raise the bar with us every year.”
Across the Easter 2026 range, several standout innovations include M&S’s Collection luxury filled shell eggs, crafted by expert chocolatiers using 40% Belgian milk chocolate using Fairtrade cocoa. Each egg is built around a sophisticated layer structure that balances texture and flavour.
Customers can discover everything from eggs for kids (young and old) to smooth, gooey chocolate centres, rich pistachio and salted caramel‑filled shells, and indulgent ‘Eggstra Gooey’ options. Whether you’re treating yourself or gifting, the Collection Pistachio Rolled Eggs, Extra Thick Pistachio and Milk Chocolate Egg, and Extra Thick Dark Chocolate and Blond Egg are the perfect choice
Pictured above; L to R: Mary O’Rourke Director Product Development Lir, Nadine Rozario Innovation Controller at Lir, Michelle Allen Buyer MS Ireland and Eimante Rimidyte Process Development Manager at Lir.
