"O taste and see" real Easter egg urge Bishops
Saturday 14th January 2012
Bishops thoughout the Church of England are inviting people everywhere to “taste and see how gracious the Lord is” (Psalm 34 verse 8).
They are taking the psalmists words literally as they are urging congregations to buy the Real Easter Egg. This traditional chocolate egg is the only one which explains the Easter story on the box, is Fairtrade and gives money to charity.
Bishop of Taunton, Rt Revd Peter Maurice, said: “We all love our chocolate eggs at Easter and these eggs remind us of the real reason for the season. The egg is a symbol of the resurrection and by giving this particular egg we can combine good teaching which satisfies our spiritual need with good chocolate to satisfy our sweet tooth!”
Many supermarkets are expected to stock the Real Easter Egg as those who did last year sold out within days.
The Real Easter Egg is made by the Manchester based Meaningful Chocolate Company and can be ordered from the official online shop at www.realeasteregg.co.uk
The recommended retail price is £3.99. The Real Easter Egg is made from 125g of high quality Fairtrade chocolate and 15 pence from every sale is donated to Traidcraft Exchange.
There are limited supplies so early ordering is advised. To ensure supply, churches are advised to place a bulk order by the end of February. The online shop has sign-up form, posters and other resources. Online ordering will be open for as long as supplies last or until the middle of March but check the official online shop or Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Real-Easter-Egg/102951176446516?ref=ts) for details.
Notes to editors
Charitable donation
15p from each Real Easter Egg sale is donated to Traidcraft Exchange. The cocoa and sugar farmers also earn a Fairtrade Premium of $60 a tonne from sales to invest in community projects that they choose, from buying chickens to securing fresh water supplies. A fee is also paid to The Fairtrade Foundation to support their work including its education programme. Last year over £26,000 was been donated to charity from sales.
Demand
With 7 million people attending church at least once a month, another 7 million supporting the ethos behind Fairtrade products, and nearly 8,000 Church Schools, demand is high for The Real Easter Egg. Logistics and delivery are managed through Traidcraft.
About Traidcraft
Traidcraft Exchange is a development charity which helps small-scale farmers and producers gain the confidence, knowledge and opportunities to work together effectively, find markets for their products, and trade successfully - resulting directly in increased incomes and improved livelihoods. It also lobbies and campaigns for trade policies and practices that help - rather than harm - people in the developing world, and encourage those who feel powerless to speak up for their rights.
Development
The Real Easter Egg was developed by Manchester-based The Meaningful Chocolate Company, following a two year development programme. There was consistently strong interest from all levels of the faith sector. Research included a taste test with 120 bishops from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
Sales facts 2011
The Real Easter Egg became the biggest mail order egg in 2011. More then 70,000 eggs were sold and it was bought by thousands of people and a significant number of schools. Bulk orders ranged from 48 to 600 eggs at a time. A number of supermarkets, Traidcraft and independent stores had decided to stock the Egg as a trial product. It sold out quickly.
Media contact:
Revd. Prebendary John Andrews, Diocesan Communications Officer (Press and Media) & Bishops’ Press Officer, , Ph: 01934 830208
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