Up to half a million more small-sized eggs will appear on UK supermarket shelves, after new packaging specifications that will give consumers more choice at a time of record demand for the lockdown staple.
Waitrose is selling new mixed-weight packs for the first time this week – each containing a dozen eggs including small, medium and large ones – to make better use of every egg produced in its supply chain while supporting farmers and avoiding waste. The changes will be introduced across the retailer’s own label British Blacktail eggs.
Egg sizing is traditionally governed by specified weight bands (small ones are 43g-53g, medium 53g-63g, large 63g-73g and very large are 73g and above). Most retailers sell more popular medium or large eggs, which has meant farmers having to send smaller eggs that do not make the grade to the catering industry. Between 3% and 5% of all eggs produced in the UK are small and generally not put into retail packs.
Sales of fresh eggs have soared in the UK since the outbreak of coronavirus – and sold out during early stockpiling – as consumers snapped them up.
Waitrose alone has sold more than 100m eggs in the last five months, which it said is enough to cater for 20 Christmases – the time of year when demand usually spikes.
It only sells free-range eggs and last August it became the first UK supermarket to sell pullet eggs – mini eggs produced by so-called “teenage” hens of about 18 weeks old – and highly prized by chefs for their flavour.
Waitrose egg buyer Nick Coleman said: “We have a history of pioneering standards in the industry and we continue to work with our egg supplier, Stonegate, to find solutions to give greater value to our farmers and customers. This new model will boost availability of our British free range eggs even further and at a more affordable price, which is good for the industry and good for our customers.”
Previously classified as medium eggs, the new minimum net weight boxes will initially come in boxes of 12 and priced at £2.50 – 20p cheaper than their predecessors. They come in a fully compostable rye grass box.
With more people cooking and eating at home alongside a home-baking boom since the pandemic started, demand for eggs has rocketed, with no signs of slowing down.
In another diversion in the supply chain, unfashionable white eggs normally used in McDonald’s breakfast McMuffins made a surprise comeback on the shelves of Tesco in May – the first time the supermarket has sold them for more than 40 years.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, supermarkets were already reporting healthy sales thanks to the popularity of vegetarian and flexitarian diets.
But initial panic buying led some supermarkets to impose shopper restrictions on egg purchases. Retailer John Lewis said eggcups were selling out because having boiled eggs for breakfast had become more popular, as consumers had more time for a sit-down breakfast.
