Coloured Eggs

Janice Houghton-Wallace looks at whether speciality eggs are a marketing trend

The egg is one of our staple foods, so much so that 12.6 billion of them are eaten in the UK every year according to The British Egg Industry Council. Although the egg has had its ups and downs over the years it is now not only enjoying a healthy revival and being promoted as such, it is also quietly becoming extremely fashionable in an increasing market for speciality eggs.

No longer are the eggshells just white or brown but varying pastel shades are now available in a wide range of outlets.

One of the largest producers of coloured eggs is Clarence Court and they refer to them as their ‘speciality’ eggs. In 1928 Clarence Elliot brought back Jungle Fowl from Patagonia and bred them with some pure breeds back in Gloucestershire. Now the company is able to rear chickens that lay blue eggs. Essentially a Legbar, they have the trading name of Old Cotswold Legbar. The blue eggs are being commercially successful and demand is increasing.

Adrian Gott, Managing Director of Clarence Court said: “Eggs in general and free-range in particular are being purchased more often than ever before. This trend is being driven by people looking for the best quality products – therefore having an impact on the speciality eggs and Clarence Court which are the high end of this category. We know that hotels and restaurants such as Claridges, The Goring, Hix etc all feature our eggs on their menu which builds trust and desirability among consumers.”

Major supermarkets are also entering the world of coloured eggs, with Sainsburys having launched their British Blue eggs earlier this year. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Egg supplier, LG Fairburns & Sons Ltd took genetics from rare breed chickens and crossed them with commercial egg laying birds so that the blue eggs could be farmed to sufficient scale.