A Bavarian chocolate maker's Easter bunny production was in full swing on Thursday (March 26) as the deadline approached at a rabbit's pace, with just one week to go.

Staff at 'Chocolaterie Amelie' in the resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen near the border with Austria were busy filling moulds with liquid chocolate pouring from a faucet.

According to store owner Linus Kaesser, the Christmas production of chocolate Santa Clauses flows almost seamlessly into the Easter bunny production.

“We discuss what we actually need to produce, how many we’re making, and then production gets underway as early as mid-February.”

Kaesser said he and his team currently make between 100 to 150 Easter bunnies a day.

The rising price of raw materials is an issue Kaesser cannot afford to ignore.

While he wants to make sure that his staff is paid fairly, he said he “definitely” did not want to compromise on quality.

“That’s why the profit margin just keeps getting smaller and smaller,” said Kaesser.

While the fallout from war in the Gulf is hitting companies worldwide, it's punching harder in Europe where energy prices are already higher than other regions, according to a dozen executives across Germany, France, Denmark and Switzerland.

Europe's energy costs have soared since the start of the Iran war in late February, with gas prices rising the most.

European prices have risen faster than other regions, including the United States.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Easter crunch time: German chocolatier’s bunnies hopping off the production line

VIDEO SHOWS: BAVARIAN CHOCOLATE STORE EMPLOYEES PRODUCING EASTER BUNNIES BY HAND / ‘CHOCOLATERIE AMELIE’ OWNER LINUS KAESSER COMMENTING ON WORK AND HIGH COST FOR RAW MATERIALS

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, GERMANY (MARCH 26, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. ‘CHOCOLATERIE AMELIE’ EMPLOYEE FILLING EASTER BUNNY MOULD WITH LIQUID CHOCOLATE POURING FROM FAUCET

2. VARIOUS OF EMPLOYEE SHAKING OFF SURPLUS CHOCOLATE

3. BOY REMOVING CHOCOLATE BUNNY FROM MOULD

4. CHOCOLATE BUNNY AND EGG ON DISPLAY IN SHOWROOM, WORKERS SEEN THROUGH WINDOW IN BACK OF STORE

5. CHOCOLATE BUNNY

6. (SOUNDBITE) (German) ‘CHOCOLATERIE AMELIE’ OWNER, LINUS KAESSER, SAYING:

“In terms of production planning, that starts straight after Christmas. We basically pack away the (chocolate) Father Christmases and St. Nicholases and then the Easter bunnies arrive and we discuss what we actually need to produce, how many we’re making, and then production gets underway as early as mid-February. I’d say, just a rough estimate, we’re already making around 100 to 150 Easter bunnies a day.”

7. EMPLOYEE REMOVING EASTER DARK CHOCOLATE BUNNIES FROM MOULD

8. VARIOUS OF BUNNIES ON DISPLAY

9. (SOUNDBITE) (German) ‘CHOCOLATERIE AMELIE’ OWNER, LINUS KAESSER, SAYING:

"Raw material prices are of course always a problem. Obviously, we have to keep our margins as tight as possible. It’s of course important that we can pay our staff fairly but what we definitely don’t want is to compromise on quality in any way. And that’s why the profit margin just keeps getting smaller and smaller.”

10. VARIOUS OF EMPLOYEE REMOVING EASTER BUNNIES FROM MOULD AND PLACING THEM ON TRAY

11. VARIOUS OF BUNNIES ON DISPLAY

12. EMPLOYEE DECORATING CHOCOLATES

13. SALESPERSON SERVING CUSTOMERS

14. CHOCOLATE BARS DECORATED WITH “HAPPY EASTER” SLOGAN IN GERMAN ON DISPLAY/BUNNY SHAPED CHOCOLATE BARS

15. SALESWOMAN BEHIND COUNTER

16. "HAPPY EASTER" CHOCOLATE BARS ON DISPLAY

17. CHOCOLATE EASTER EGGS ON DISPLAY