Written by: Alister Augustine
4 min readPuneApr 18, 2025 12:16 PM IST
First published on: Apr 18, 2025 at 11:40 AM IST
Easter is arriving in Pune with a sprinkle of colour, creativity, and care as home bakers across the city roll up their sleeves to craft beautiful, handmade Easter eggs. From traditional marzipan to gooey chocolate surprises, the sweet treats are bringing smiles to many. Behind the festive cheer, however, the season has witnessed a quiet struggle amid rising ingredient costs and slower sales.
Shalini Dsouza, 43, who runs the home bakery business Bakeology since 2017, has made three special varieties of Easter eggs this year — each with a personal touch and a connection to tradition. “The traditional Marzipan Eggs hold a lot of importance during Easter, especially in Christian communities. They symbolise new life and resurrection. I make them using homemade almond marzipan, shape them into eggs, and decorate them using royal icing in beautiful floral and cross patterns,” she says.
Dsouza has also made Chocolate Easter Eggs filled with ganache, caramel, roasted nuts, crunchy bits, as well as fun Bunny Eggs shaped like bunnies or their paws, often filled with candies or marshmallows. Her prices range from Rs 100 to Rs 180, depending on the type. “They are not just treats, but also a part of the Easter joy and celebration,” she adds.
At La Miel, another home bakery run by Melissa Mathias, a wide range of flavours are on offer, including dark chocolate, mango cream, cookies and cream, and even Bailey’s tiramisu. Mathias, who started her bakery seven years ago, says Easter is usually her busiest time. “For the special Easter collection, I offer a handcrafted Easter Bunny for Rs 220, traditional Easter Marzipan Eggs for Rs 250, a Jumbo Egg filled with surprises for Rs 300, and an Easter Gift Basket for Rs 800,” she says.
But this year, the sales have not quite met her expectations. “There has been a drop in orders by about 10-18 per cent. I would say sales are roughly 50-67 per cent of what I usually get during Easter,” Mathias says. “The cost of chocolate has gone up quite a bit, and since I use good quality ingredients, it affects my pricing.” Despite the challenges, she remains committed. “I love creating these eggs—it’s a mix of tradition, creativity, and chocolate joy.”
Jacqueline Philips, 38, who runs Heavenly Bites, has been baking since 2013. She has made four types of Easter eggs this year: Classic Sugar Eggs with tiny Easter scenes inside, Layered Chocolate Surprise Eggs, Spiced Caramel Eggs, and hand-painted Hollow Eggs.
“Easter is a special time for me as a baker. It is all about colour, joy, and sweet memories,” Philips says. “Sales have been steady this year but they are not as high as last year. Probably around 70 per cent of what I expected. I think the rise in ingredient prices is making people more cautious. Easter eggs are not just treats, they signify tradition, care, and have a little bit of magic for everyone who receives them.”
At Sweet Grace Bakery, Sandra Pillay, 35, has been making Easter eggs for over a decade now. Her special Golden Almond Egg, a marzipan and almond praline-filled creation coated in gold-dusted white chocolate, is one of her bestsellers this year at Rs 250.
“I also do Mini Fun Eggs for Rs 60 a pack, and Crunchy Cookie Eggs for Rs 180,” she says. “This year, sales have been modest. I have sold about 60 per cent of what I usually do.” But Sandra remains upbeat. “Making Easter eggs brings me joy, especially when people send photos of their kids opening them with big smiles.”
Dsouza has also made Chocolate Easter Eggs filled with ganache, caramel, roasted nuts, crunchy bits, as well as fun Bunny Eggs shaped like bunnies or their paws, often filled with candies or marshmallows. (Express) 
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