Wee Birdy

Wee Easter finds: Maileg

 
Hanging egg decorations, featuring Easter Parade design, by Maileg.

Shopping in London: Melt Chocolates

I couldn’t resist poking my head inside the doors of Melt Chocolates in Notting Hill, just in time for Easter. As you can imagine, it’s a hive of activity at the moment, with all chocolate handmade on site in the small kitchen out the back. And with their recently opened concession in Selfridges, demand has never been greater.

The kitchen is headed by Chika Watanabe, who conjures up sheer chocolate heaven in the manner of award-winning Maldon sea-salted caramels, peanut butter and raspberry jam truffles, and exquisite single-origin hot chocolate dipping blocks.

For Easter, there’s a delightful bunny mug designed by Lisa Jones with a milk chocolate egg (£17.50), traditional paper eggs filled with Swiss milk chocolate drops (£8.50) and egg cups with milk chocolate eggs (£9.50). Click here to see the full Easter line-up.

If you’ve left your Easter shopping ‘til the last minute, resist the calls of the supermarket aisle (and bad-quality, sugar-laden chocolate) and head over to Selfridges instead. Right now you can hand-pick your own selection of fresh chocolates and watch as Melt’s chocolatiers seal them inside a hand-finished egg. Fun and yum!

Melt
59 Ledbury Road
London W11 2AA
Nearest Tube: Notting Hill Gate
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 9am-6pm
Sunday 11am-4pm

For more chocolates and sweets in London, click here.

Wee Easter finds: Etsy

I'm loving this incredibly twee and adorable spin on Victorian glass dome tableaux displays (usually reserved for taxidermied animals and birds) by Mossywood Lane. This particular "tiny wonderland" is entitled "Bunnies in Sewing Land", and features pastel bunnies playing in a pastel cotton reel world.
US$65.

Super-sweet bunny egg warmer or handpuppet, hand-made using felt by Red Mush, US$9.95.

Custom ceramic egg with hand-stamped text by Paloma's Nest, US$18 for one.

Handpainted wooden eggs, US$2.75 each, by Wee Wood Natural Toys.

Wee Easter finds: Egg hunt at Present & Correct

I just got an email from Neal over at Present & Correct about the Easter egg hunt that's happening right now on their website. One egg will be hidden each day in the lead-up to Easter. The first person to find it wins a super-lovely bag of paper treats, with some chocolate thrown in for good measure. Too sweet!

Wee Easter finds: Hand-painted Rococo chocolate

Clockwise from left: hand-painted gentleman hare, made with dark and white chocolate, £30; hand-painted dark chocolate egg with Japanese bird design, filled with a mixture of Grand Cru ganache-filled mini eggs and truffles, £25; and hand-painted egg with leaping hare, filled with Grand Cru ganache-filled mini-eggs, £18.95, all by Rococo chocolates.

Rococo shops in London:
321 Kings Road
London SW3 5EP
Tel: 020 7352 5857
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Opening hours:
Monday 12pm - 5pm
Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 6:30pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

5 Motcomb Street
London SW1X 8JU
Tel: 020 7245 0993
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 6:30pm

45 Marylebone High Street
London W1U 5HG
Tel: 020 7935 778
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 6:30pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm