They were also up 1.2% on last Easter, which fell at a later date, with the celebrity chef’s egg, made with edible gold dust, soaring 150%.
Mark Williamson, commercial director, said: “It wasn’t all chocolate, though. We had our best ever Easter for non-food, which was up 16% on last year, and saw record demand for Easter bonnets and plush toys.
“The warmer weather at the end of the bank holiday weekend also helped spur a 24% rise in sales of rosé wines.”
Weekly sales at department store John Lewis, part of the same company as Waitrose, rose 20.9% year-on-year , helped by strong online trade.
