Clik here to view.
New Easter egg raises money for two charities and mentions Jesus on the box
Church leaders have secured a small victory in their fight against secularism and the marginalisation of Christianity after major supermarkets agreed to stock the UK's first and only Fairtrade charity Easter egg to mention Jesus on the box.
Morrisons, Waitrose, Co-op and Booths are to stock a limited supply of the Real Easter Egg, while some independent shops and cathedrals are also selling it.
However the Christian-themed eggs will not be found in the aisles of Britain's three biggest supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda – which have a combined market share of just over 63%.
The Meaningful Chocolate Company says it developed the product with the help of bishops, schools and parents. It adds that of the 80m Easter eggs sold every year, the Real Easter Egg is the only one that explains the Christian understanding of the Easter festival on the box.
The packaging tells customers: "Easter is all about cute bunnies, fluffy chicks and eating too much chocolate, right? Well, not quite. We happen to think it's a bit more meaningful than that. That's because billions of people all over the world believe that Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, then rose again three days later … on Easter Sunday. Actually, many believe that chocolate eggs represent the boulder that sealed his tomb."
The company has received more than 70,000 orders since the egg was launched in September 2010 and says it has exhausted its supplies of direct mail order eggs.
The Right Rev Nigel McCulloch, bishop of Manchester, welcomed the appearance of The Real Easter Egg on the high street. "It is great news that for the first time people will have the chance of buying an Easter egg from a shop that explains the significance of the festival on the box.
"I believe there will be widespread support for the product from the faith community with many others likely to be interested."
Two charities benefit from the sale of the £3.99 egg. Traidcraft Exchange receives 30p from every egg sold and Baby Lifeline will receive 10% of the Real Easter Egg net profits.
