MARMITE chocolate sounds like something Heston Blumenthal might conjure up in his kitchen.

But this unlikely sounding food combination is proving to be a big hit for Richard White, who owns The Little Sweetie Shop in Broadstone.

He not only sells bars of Old Peculiar Marmite chocolate and Marmite crisps, he is also one of the first to get his hands on the new Marmite chocolate Easter eggs which will be hitting the stores next month.

He said: “We’ve had a brilliant reaction from our customers. People do love it or hate it, but even people who don’t like Marmite like the chocolate – we sell several bars every week. I love Marmite I could it by the spoonful!”

The Old Peculiar Marmite chocolate got a mixed response amongst the Echo’s Taste team.

At first you can’t really taste the Marmite, but then there is a beefy, slightly salty aftertaste.

I liked it in small quantities, and there are a many recipes where dark chocolate is added to stews, sauces and casseroles to add depth of flavour.

Even Pot Noodle is getting in on the act. But with the UK Easter egg market now worth £365million each year, perhaps it’s not as bonkers as it sounds!

History of the sticky brown spread

THE sticky brown yeasty paste has been a staple of the British diet since it was first produced in Staffordshire in 1902.

Although it is a distinctly British product, the name came from the French word to describe a large covered cooking pot.

It was originally made from yeast supplied by a British brewery and became so popular that a second factory was opened in 1907.

In the early 1900s it was perceived to be a health food as it is rich in vitamin B and was issued to British troops in the First World War as part of their rations to help prevent conditions such as beriberi.

Today it is the second best-selling spread behind Rowse honey which took the top spot in 2013.

You can order your Marmite Chocolate Easter Egg or Old Peculiar online at thelittlesweetieshop.co.uk