UK chocolate maker Thorntons has said its Easter sales were “satisfactory”, meaning that pre-exceptional profit before tax is on-track to beat current market expectations.

The company said that sales during its key seasonal periods – including Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day – had met expectations.

The group, which has been working to reduce reliance on seasonal sales and develop its year-round business, said it expects profit before tax to top expectations of GBP3.1m (US$4.7m) for the 52 weeks to end-June.

However, the company did sound a note of warning on the operating environment in the UK: “We remain cautious of the prevailing economy and its continuing impact on consumer expenditure.”