A cocoon of sweetness for the Easter celebrations at Villa René Lalique

For his first creation as Pastry Chef at Villa René Lalique, Jonathan Bunel presents a fully chocolate Easter egg with a distinctly poetic aesthetic. This original piece draws its inspiration from two core themes: the renewal of nature at the dawn of spring and the element of “air,” one of the four founding elements that inspire Lalique’s artistic journey for 2026.

As nature gently awakens from its long winter rest, the Easter egg imagined by Jonathan Bunel pays tribute to its grace, resilience, and enduring strength, season after season.

The starting point of his creative reflection lies in the majestic trees of the Villa René Lalique park, whose hollows shelter and protect the lives of many animal species. Spring thus embodies, by its very nature, a landscape reclaiming its place—breaking free from winter and unfolding into a palette of shapes and colors, a true cocoon of softness for wildlife.

A Tribute to Nature in Motion

Several elements of this exceptional sculpture, crafted entirely in chocolate, were conceived as a nod to the nearby crystal manufactory—more specifically to Air de Lalique, Chapter One, launched in 2026—an authentic ode to light and movement.

Invisible and elusive, air is nevertheless the source of motion and the guide of light. Echoing this theme, Jonathan Bunel drew inspiration for the egg’s outer shell—the cocoon—from the pleated lines of the Alizé vase, whose rippling crystal evokes a draped fabric in motion. Delicately set upon the piece, butterflies symbolize the air flowing through their wings.

Hidden behind certain colored leaves lies an ingenious, hand-operated rotating mechanism that breathes life and movement into the entire creation.

The dialogue with Lalique’s heritage continues through the Feuilles motif, which adorns the hat and gives it sculptural relief. The pepper-tree leaf vine echoes an emblematic design by René Lalique, first used in 1924 for the creation of a pepper or salt mill co-designed with Peugeot.

A Work of Multiple Textures and Flavours

This chocolate creation is elevated by a selection of three iconic Valrhona chocolates. Opalys 33% white chocolate, with its delicate notes of vanilla and fresh milk, and Jivara 40% milk chocolate, with milky and subtly malted aromas, are used to shape the butterflies and leaves.

The egg itself is crafted from Illanka Pure Peru 63% grand cru, revealing an elegant, well-balanced cocoa intensity. Inside, concealed behind a play of leaves, lies a delightfully indulgent and childlike heart: vanilla-flavoured marshmallows and mini eggs filled with chocolate ganache. Finally, the egg’s hat contains a smooth hazelnut praline—a signature of richness and softness.

An Easter Egg in Service of Living Nature

For the 2026 edition, the double Michelin-starred establishment will donate 20% of the proceeds to a local association dedicated to the protection of wildlife: GORNA (Groupement Ornithologique du Refuge Nord-Alsace). Located in Neuwiller-lès-Saverne, just twenty minutes from Villa René Lalique, this wildlife rescue center welcomes each year numerous birds and small mammals—birds of prey, squirrels, hedgehogs, and wildcats—providing them with essential care for survival.

“In imagining Cocon de douceur, I felt a profound return to childhood—those moments spent observing nature with wonder, guided by curiosity and by an instinctive ability to experience the world through all the senses.

This emotion shaped my creation and naturally led me to draw inspiration from Lalique’s exploration of the theme of air. Invisible yet omnipresent, air gives rise to movement, captures light, and breathes life—an obvious connection for both crystal and chocolate,” explains Jonathan Bunel.