'Christian Easter eggs' fail to crack open supermarkets

The Meaningful Chocolate Company, a company “passionate about ethical trading and faith”, has produced the eggs for three years

Church groups appear to have failed in their attempt to crack the Easter egg market – after supermarkets refused to believe that “Christianity sells”.

Christians had been celebrating a milestone in their three-year campaign to get the Real Easter Egg into supermarkets, but it now turns out some retail buyers have placed such pitifully low orders that the Meaningful Chocolate Company, which makes the eggs, faces selling to some stores at a loss.

Bishops have been backing the bid to get a religious Easter egg on the shelves for the first time and establish a new British tradition. The Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Rev Anthony Priddis, urged shoppers to complain to their local supermarket if they could not find the £3.99 egg – which is the only one to mention Jesus on the box.

“Orders are quite low, particularly [at] Sainsbury’s,” he said. “The supermarkets between them are only taking about 80,000, most of which are going to Tesco, Morrisons or the Co-op. It would help if customers start asking supermarkets: Where are the Real Easter Eggs? It might encourage the stores to stock more next year.”

David Marshall, boss of the Meaningful Chocolate Company, said: “For such low quantities we run the risk of selling at a loss. One supermarket said they were very worried this egg would not be liked by people and would cause problems.”