Supermarket chain Waitrose has revealed its super-sized Ostrich eggs have become a huge hit with shoppers.
The upmarket grocer said it has seen a huge 573 per cent leap in sales of the giant eggs – one of which is 24 times larger than a normal hen’s egg – since they first went on sale in 2008, and bosses are now anticipating demand to soar in the run-up to Easter .
The eggs are laid by South African Black Ostriches and come from the Clarence Court farms in Cornwall . At six inches long and with a weight of around 2½lb, each egg is large enough to feed 15 adults.
A spokesperson for Waitrose said: “Ostrich eggs have a distinctive, light flavour and texture, making them ideal for cooking . For the culinary-minded, that’s almost one hundred meringues or thirty-two soufflés!”
However, they don’t come cheap, with Waitrose charging £18.99 per egg. Shoppers hoping for a quick breakfast also have to bear in mind that soft boiling an Ostrich egg takes around 30 minutes, while 90 minutes is needed to hard-boil one – providing they can crack the shell.
Frances Westerman, Waitrose egg buyer, said: “Britons have proved they are game enough to try something other than the humble hen egg.”
“Customers have been seeking out something a bit different and the Ostrich egg is a real trump card when it comes to cooking over the long weekend.”
“What better way to surprise guests this Easter Sunday than boiling one egg for all your guests’ breakfasts?”
