CADBURY Mini Egg fans were left shocked after the cost of a small bag rose by over a third - with packs now costing almost £2 in many shops. The tasty treat has appeared in stores already, with Easter still weeks away, but they do come with a rather hefty £1.85 price tag. But there are alternatives available with many supermarkets bringing out cheaper own-brand versions. But do they taste as good?. LYNSEY HOPE finds out...

A solid chunk of Dairy Milk chocolate covered in a crisp, sugary shell. Once you bite through the shell, the chocolate just melts in the mouth. They are so delicious and incredibly moreish. It's almost impossible not to wolf down in an entire bag in one sitting. Expensive though for what you get and I can see why the high price tag would put even the most dedicated Cadbury fans off buying these. At this price, they work out at over 7p per tiny egg.

Slightly brighter in colour than the Cadbury eggs, but they didn't taste the same at all. The sugar coating didn't have the same sugary crunch the real ones have and they are quite soft to bite into, while the chocolate was lacking in flavour. A good price - but not many in the bag sadly, and not a patch on the real thing. These are much brighter than the Cadbury eggs with familiar Smarties colours. They are a little larger but there are less in the bag and the exterior shell is very crunchy and they are harder to bite into.

The Nestle chocolate is nice, but I still prefer the Cadbury version. Not the cheapest, either. One of the best value, especially when you buy this XL bag from Aldi, and they certainly went a lot further. Taste wise they are not quite as good as Cadbury, but you can't tell a whole lot of difference. It's the slight sugary crispiness of the shell that's missing. The chocolate is yummy. Overall, these are a great choice and a real saving against the branded eggs of around 84p per 100g. Delicious.

These are actually the best value per gram of chocolate. It's a big bag but the eggs are bigger so you do only get 22 of them. They are the size of a real birds' egg - and look like a real one too. They contain some Belgian chocolate and the creamy, milkiness of the chocolate really comes through when you pop one in your mouth. As they are large, they are a little sickly. But they taste nice and this does stop you scoffing too many.

A great budget option from Morrisons, these had a strong cocoa aroma as I ripped open the bag and smelt like a cup of hot chocolate. There were a lot of orange eggs in the bag and only a few of the other, more traditional mini egg colours. They actually tasted pretty good with a nice crispy outer shell and creamy chocolate in the centre. Not sure the kids would even notice the difference. A massive saving on the Cadbury eggs.

CHOC lovers could save serious cash with top tips, writes The Sun’s Head of Consumer Tara Evans. She said: IF you have a chocolate habit then it could be adding to your wallet as well as your waistline. But there are ways to get your sweet treat and spend less. LOOK OUT FOR SALES. After Christmas and Easter is when you’ll find the best discounts and deals as shops try to get rid of seasonal choc. In the past we’ve spotted Dairy Milk festive treats for just 20p.